Abba Kabir Yusuf, Governor of Kano State, has criticised the federal government’s distribution of N500 billion through the Bank of Industry to boost small-scale enterprises across the country’s geopolitical zones.
Governor Yusuf made the assessment at a meeting with Kano Cooperative Society representatives at the state government house.
Governor Yusuf, represented by his Deputy Governor Aminu Gwarzo, revealed that the distribution was heavily skewed, with Lagos State receiving 47% of the allocation, followed by the South-South Zone with 17%, and other regions receiving significantly lower percentages.
A statement issued by Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Ibrahim Shuaibu, said he deemed the distribution unfair, unconstitutional, and illegal.
It read in part: “He called on relevant authorities, including senators and members of the House of Representatives, to rectify the situation and take appropriate action against those responsible.
“He pledged its commitment to assist cooperative societies in their efforts to combat poverty and regain their influence.
“He emphasised the importance of cooperative societies as vehicles through which citizens can improve their lives and contribute to the overall development of their community and nation.
“Governor Yusuf announced that the state government would engage cooperative societies in designing poverty eradication and sustainable development programmes.
“Furthermore, committees would be established to review the activities of Cooperative Desk Officers in each local government area, while desk officers would be introduced in major markets such as Dawanau, Kantin Kwari, Yan Lemo among others to guide and support cooperative activities,” the statement disclosed.
It added that, “President of the Kano Cooperative Society, Musa Hassan Aikawa, spoke on behalf of the delegation and emphasized the significance of cooperatives in enhancing the lives of their members.
“He highlighted the fact that Kano State has over 2.8 million cooperative members, primarily consisting of young people.
“Aikawa requested intervention from the state government to develop strategies for reducing the high unemployment rate in the state.
“The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Solid Minerals, Hajiq Mairo Danbatta, expressed solidarity with the cooperative movement and encouraged the youth to embrace cooperative business ventures as a means of progress and reducing unemployment in Kano State.
“The meeting was attended by several dignitaries, including government officials and representatives from educational institutions related to cooperative activities in Kano State,” the statement however reads
