Kano govt reacts to SolaceBase story over zero spending on flood control, our position

By solacebase.com On Sep 24, 2024

Kano State , Abba Kabir Yusuf, Flood, ACReSAL, Budget Performance Document, — Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf

By Aminu Abubakar

Kano State Government has reacted to a story published by SolaceBase on Monday titled,’’ Kano spends zero naira on flood control, N555m on hospitality.’’

The story revealed that despite the state government budgeting N220 million to tackle erosion and flooding in 2024, zero naira was spent on the same in the first six months of 2024.

That is from January to June of 2024, according to information provided by the state government.

The report which was based on budget performance documents published by Kano State Government on its website was denied.

Although this is not the first time the state government has denied stories published by the media using the state government information provided on its website and later attributed same to ‘’data error or mixed up on its part.’’

A typical example was on 30^th July 2024 when an online newspaper (Not SolaceBase) published that the state government had spent N10 billion within the first and second quarters of the 2024 fiscal year, on furniture based on the budget performance documents on the website of the state government.

The government in a reaction signed by the spokesman of the governor, Malam Sanusi Bature denied it saying the government only spent N596m on furniture and office fittings at MDAs within the period.

The statement said “The state Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning has just released the second quarter budget performance report on the 28th of July, 2024 and has mistakenly tempered with the figures.’’

“Unfortunately, the second quarter report was erroneously submitted with a mix-up in the template as data for payment of over ten billion naira (N10b) was used for payment of contractors’s liabilities and other expenses incurred by previous administrations,’’ the statement said.

“The state regrets any inconvenience from the report to all stakeholders, including development partners, financial institutions and government agencies. It was as a result of the inability of the officials responsible for reporting the budget performance to validate the data in thier custody”. He added.

The Governor cautioned all data managers and handlers to maintain high level of professionalism in their responsiblities noting that Government will not tolerate sharing of unreliable data on its activities.

The Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning is directed to review with immediate effort, the template of the budget performance report in accordance with reliable data at its disposal and ensure no future misrepresentation occurs, the statement emphasized.

However, SolaceBase observed that the governor’s directive was not adhered to as the government’s reaction to our story highlighted what the administration said it has spent on flood control signed by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s Senior Special Assistant on Climate Change Initiatives, Dr Dahiru Muhammad Hashim

The statement read, “. I will highlight some interventions on flood and erosion control made by His Excellency, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf within a frame of 9 months January to September.

The major cause of flooding and erosion in Kano is the blockage of waterways, especially within the metropolitan local governments (human activities), and poor drainage systems in major rural Local governments across the state.

Knowing this fully well, the ACRESAL project of the Kano state government has conducted a pre-rainy season advocacy visit to all the 44 local governments of the state for sensitization and awareness creation on the consequences of human activities that aggravate the problems of erosion, that’s apart from the series of awareness programs approved by the government in different media stations and social media to sensitize people on the negative impacts of their activities on nature land, which I believed is the first step to prevent and control the occurrence of flood and erosion in the state.

Equally, the government has approved and initiated the mapping out of all watersheds, and erosion sites for inventory taking, vulnerability assessment, and prioritization of the erosion sites, this initiative has gone a long way in curtailing the problems of flooding which might have otherwise been terrific as well as erosion in the state.

So also the Initiative of clearing the blockage of waterways assigned by the Kano State government which has approved the exercise as carried out in the 8 metropolitan local governments of the state. Some of the major drainage routes that were cleared include Mumbayya House to the defunct Triumph Publishing House, Ahmadu Bello Way, Tarauni Market to Yar Fulani, Yahaya Gusau Rd in NNDC quarters, Gwarzo Road, Bilal Masjid to Darmawa and Sokoto road among several others.

The drainage clearance project has helped avert floods in the affected local government areas of Kano State. To ensure the sustainability of this project, the Kano State Government empowered more than 30 community self-help groups (Kungiyoyin aikin gayya) with drainage clearance equipment such as wheelbarrows, rakes, head pans, hand gloves, spades, cutlasses, etc.

These equipment were distributed to the groups so that they would be able to carry out proper drainage clearance in their communities and by so doing, prevented the occurrence of flooding in their respective communities.

The Kano State Government has also carried out the desilting of the Jakara-Kwarin Gogau River. This river cuts across various communities such as Jakara, Fagge, and Nomansland, and mostly contributes to floods due to filling with dirt and debris.

By desilting the river, this year the areas have not experienced flooding as it used to happen every year.

When it comes to erosion control, The Government of Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf has embarked on 2 major erosion control sites in the state: Bulbula Gayawa in Nassarawa LGA and Rarin in Dawakin Tofa LGA. At Bulbula Gayawa, the state government through ACRESAL projects has concluded a baseline study and conducted a Resettlement Action Plan and Environmental

and Social Management Plan (ESMP) to ensure that all properties are adequately captured, and all individuals are fully compensated. With the approval of the Kano State Government under His Excellency Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, civil work will soon commence, and once the work has been completed, the communities of Bulbula Gayawa will return to their neighborhood and live peacefully without any more threat of flooding, erosion, or hoodlums hiding inside the gullies.

In Rarin Erosion Control Sites, relevant studies (baseline, RAP, and ESMP) have been conducted and the Kano State Government has commenced civil work to avert the effects of erosion in the community.

Erosion control works are currently in progress at Bachirawa Layin Maiunguwa in Dala Local Government and Rijiyar zaki Hauran Isyaku of Ungogo LGA respectively, the works have reached close completion level, apart from other sites where expert studies have been conducted and soon the civil works

will begin, includes: Wailari erosion site, Sumaila Gala erosion work, Gurin gawa in kumbotso local government, Kabo erosion sites, Dawakin Kudu erosion site, and others.

To further ensure that desertification, (effect of erosion) is reduced, the Kano State Government has rehabilitated 2 shelterbelts totaling 2,200Ha in Yanbawa, Makoda LGA, and Ginzo, Bagwai LGA.

These shelterbelts will serve as windbreakers thereby protecting soil from being carried away by winds. And by so doing, making the soil stronger and protecting it against erosion.

It is also worth mentioning that the restoration of degraded land is a form of erosion control mechanism, the restored land will no longer be exposed to direct sunlight and strong winds.

Hence, the Kano State government has recently commended the restoration of 21,261Ha of degraded land in the State through various afforestation projects such as the rehabilitation of shelterbelts, the establishment of orchards, farmers-managed natural regeneration, and woodlot plantation.

Therefore, these lands will be used for agricultural purposes, thereby protecting them against erosion.

Finally, the Kano state government has initiated and developed a climate change policy KCCP which will look at the peculiarities of Kano state, the activities that are leading to climate change, action plans, and enforcement strategies.

In conclusion, all these interventions on erosion and flood control were carried out by the administration of His Excellency, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf within one year of assuming office, under the Kano State Watersheds, Erosion and Climate Change Management Agency (KN-WECCMA) and Agro-climatic

Resilience in Semi-arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project and soon, there will be more interventions and projects geared toward the prevention of erosion and flood as His Excellency, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf is committed to ensuring that Kano State residents are protected from the devastating effects of flooding and erosion.

It is pertinent that the present state administration put its house in order in the management of information published on its official website in line with standard practice which is access

by Nigerians, development partners, donor agencies, both local and international investors on the issue of transparency, accountability and good governance for the betterment of the state.