Kano assembly approves Ganduje’s N15bn loan request

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

The Kano State House of Assembly has approved a request by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to allow the 44 Local Government Areas in the state access N15 billion to fund his Primary to Secondary schools free and compulsory education initiative.
The governor on Monday sent a letter to the assembly seeking for its approval to access the loan from Guaranty Trust Bank in a bid to fund the new education policy.
However, assembly approved the request yesterday during its plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Alhaji Abdulazeez Garba-Gafasa.
The legislators approved the request after the Deputy Majority leader of the house; Alhaji Kabiru Hassan-Dashi who supervised the committee of Local Government presented their report.
The committee recomended for the approval of the request, adding that the fund would be used to construct more classes and rehabilitate some aimed at reducing congestion.
Hassan-Dashi explained that the loan will also support the provision of free uniform for the students and also enhanced the school feeding initiative by the state government.
After series of deliberations by the legislators, the assembly adopted the motion and approve request.
It would be recalled that according to the letter, the decision to access the loan was to enable the local governments to ensure the success of the state government’s initiative of free and compulsory education.
Ganduje said in the letter that each of the 44 local governments if the loan is approved will receive N340 million aimed at ensuring the sustainability of the free and compulsory education across the state.
He explained that the loan would be paid in 30 months with only 15 per cent interest.
According to the letter, the loan will be deducted from the local governments’ monthly Federal allocations.