Katsina to provide grants to the two Emirates

Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina state has stated that the state government Will henceforth start providing grants to the two Emirates to free the accounts of 34 local governments in the state.

Masari was speaking when he received the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmummini Kabir Usman, who paid him sallah homage known as Hawan Bariki at old Government House, Katsina.

The governor decried the over blotting of the staff of local governments with those who has nothing to do to help the system.

This, he said, made the state government on monthly basis come to the aid of the local governments for them to pay salaries adding that only five local councils are buoyant as to be able to pay salaries and execute some petty projects.

The Governor contended that the administration is considering convening a stakeholders summit on the way forward for local government administration in Katsina state.

He noted that the summit would help the administration to conduct local government elections and handover the finances to the will be elected officials in the 34 local governments.

Reacting to the need for return of Teacher Training Colleges by the Emir, the governor went down memory lane to recall how Katsina had produced eminent sons because of its educational advantage in the North then, but however lamented that Katsina had retracted back from being a centre of learning to an educationally disadvantage state.

On hate speech, he said the country is facing hard times, adding that there is threat to peaceful coexistence of over one hundred years of Nigeria as a single entity.

Governor Masari therefore solicited for the support of leaders at all level in the state to be up and doing to forestall breach of peace.

He appealed for positive usage of social media as against the ongoing negative trend of promoting hate among the diverse ethnic groups.

Masari thanked the people for the prayers for the quick recovery of the health of President Muhammad Buhari and called for continuity in that regard.

On agriculture, the Governor asked the Emir to stop ward and village heads from aiding and abetting encroachment into grazing and forest reserves by farmers, stressing the need for farmers to accept new improved seeds and new farming techniques to grow more foods as against expansion of farmlands to meets family’s growing population.

Earlier, the Emir,Alhaji Abdulmummini kabir Usman thank God for reaching the eid-mubarak period and prayed Allah to accept the worship of people during the Ramadan fast.

Alhaji Abdulmummini said as is the tradition, the Hawan Bariki was for him, a time for traditional rulers and title holders to pay homage to the Governor.

The Emir told the gathering that the way the Ramadan was held had signified that time is too short for human beings, adding that it shows that a day will come when all those who attended the Hawan Bariki will find themselves in the grave.

Alhaji Abdulmummini reminded people that the old order of doing things with decorum had since been abandoned for worldly gains.

The Emir kicked against negative threats within the people which made God to also change their way of living to become very difficult for them.

Turning to the Governor, Alhaji Abdulmummini commended him for the restoration in various sectors of the state economy, adding that such could be seen in education health, agriculture, water supply, economic empowerment of youths and women as well as supply of transformers to boost electricity in the state.

The Emir commended the Governor for being just and fair in the execution of projects to enhance the wellbeing of the people.

He asked the Governor to assist primary school teachers with allowances to ensure a conducive teaching and learning environment in schools.

He also asked the state government to re-establish teacher training colleges, stressing that even if no other state did so, Katsina state government should go ahead and re-establish such colleges.

The Emir kicked against the use of social media for numerous negative threats in the fabrics of the Nigerian nation.

He alleged that some people do post negativities in the social media and later destroy the SIM card use in the act, which shows cowardice.

He called on Katsina people to maintain excellent relationship with fellow Nigerians wherever they may found themselves in the country.

Highlight of the Hawan Bariki was the display of excellent horsemanship by ward, village and District heads and the Emir as well as processions by cultural dancers.