In a moving speech he delivered, Sunday, at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kofar Mata, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, showered encomiums on Nigeria’s founding fathers for the great job they did in laying the foundation for a glorious future, expressing the hope that the country shall be great again.
According to a statement by Mallam Sani Abba Yola, Director, Special Duties, in the Kano State’s Ministry of Information, Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf made the powerful reflection while addressing a crowd of enthusiastic citizens on Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Anniversary.
Nigeria shall be great again, the governor submitted.
The governor urged President Bola Tinubu, and indeed, all those in positions of authority in the country to imbibe the principles of fairness, equity and justice, without which no meaningful progress can be made.
Though he admitted that some progress had been made since Nigeria gained independence from Britain on October 1, 1960, the governor maintained that more progress could have been made if leaders had been more equitable in the way they deployed state resources.
Reflecting on the significance of the national milestone, Governor Yusuf described Nigeria as work in progress but shall rapidly evolve as a prosperous and just nation where citizens share equal rights, opportunities, and responsibilities.
He paid glowing tribute to the heroes of the nation’s independence struggle, underscoring the gigantic contributions of renowned figures like Malam Aminu Kano, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolawo, Sir Herbert Macaulay Bello ,Dr. Nmandi Azikiwe, Malam Sa’adu Zungu Maitama Sule, Hajiya Gambo Sawaba, among others.
The governor expressed serious concerns about the serious challenges that currently roil the country, like unemployment, insecurity, poverty, and education and healthcare issues. He urged sincere efforts to address the aforementioned issues and promote unity.
Since, as they say, charity begins from home, Governor Yusuf also spoke on the giant strides made by his administration since inauguration on May 29, 2023.
He highlighted the steps taken by his administration to improve improve security, combat the menace of illicit drugs, and provide skills acquisition opportunities for the state’s numerous youth, not leaving out the administration’s initiatives to revamp the state’s education and healthcare sectors, even as it strongly commits to improving the well-being of citizens.
On education, the governor explained that the state government has provided free uniforms, meals, working materials, as well as building new schools across the 44 local government councils; a major step aimed at taking many out-of-school children off the streets.
Still on education, the governor informed his audience that his administration had sponsored 1001 first class graduates for their Master’s degree at universities abroad, paid the registration fees of the state’s students in some Federal Tertiary institutions and reduced by 50 percent the registration fees payable in all state- owned tertiary education Institutions.
On healthcare, the governor disclosed that his government had rebuilt and equipped the Hasiya Bayero Pediatric Hospital to provide free medical care to children, while the renovation and upgrading works in Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital and Bela Leprosy Hospital were progressing.
Governor Yusuf then summed up all these efforts and expressed solid hope for a glorious future for the state under his watch.