Good governance: APC governors’ Forum rates Kano high

The APC Progressive Governors’ Forum has rated Kano State as leading all other states for the third time in the areas of security, infrastructural development, health, education, and economy, among other areas.

Mr. Abba Anwar, Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, disclosed this while addressing a news conference in Kano on Wednesday.

He said the rating was contained in the November 2019 Assessment Report released by All Progressives Congress (APC) progressive governors’ forum signed by its Director-General, Salihu Mohammed Lukman.

According to him, for three consecutive months from September, October, and November, the state had taken the leading positions with various degrees of improvement from one stage to another.

“The Forum initiates Progressive Strides- Tracking Development Initiatives in APC states as part of a strategy to further deepen good governance among all APC states in the country through the promotion of healthy competition among the states.

“Under this methodology, the states are assessed on a monthly basis and the assessment cuts across all sectors of government, ranging from health, education, agriculture, housing, transport and environmental sanitation among others.

“In a letter sent to governor Abdullahi Ganduje, that was attached with the full-scale report of the assessment, signed by the Director General of the Forum, Salihu Mohammed Lukman, Kano was rated the highest with 22 strides,” he said.

He said some of the indices given for the emergence of Kano state as the highest included, the training of 60 youths on the maintenance of heavy-duty and articulated vehicles and distribution of eight million mosquito nets to residents.

He said others were the all-important summit on education, the commendation from the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on the state”s free and compulsory primary and secondary school education, in addition, spending N2.4 billion on 1,180 primary and secondary schools, as part of the free education policy.

He said the forum also listed the Kano Hydroelectricity power project which it said was set to address Petroleum consumption and climate change.

“In general, there is an all-round increase in the pattern of initiatives introduced by the states with Kano State recording most of the initiatives for this month with 22 Strides, spreading across empowerment, health, education, infrastructure, security, welfare, economy, environment, capacity building as well as justice and sensitisation,” he said.

According to the assessment, Lagos follows with 20 strides, followed by Jigawa with 17 strides while Gombe appears with 14, Nasarawa and Yobe with 12 each.

Others were Borno, Ogun, and Osun with 11 strides each, Katsina follows with 10, Kebbi with nine, Niger and Ondo with eight each, Kwara with seven, Edo, Ekiti and Kaduna with six each While Kogi and Plateau had four strides each.

The report also showed that all states in the forum were represented and featured in this edition of the assessment strides.

“Kano moves with significant improvement from the previous assessment. In October 2019 assessment, the state-led all other states with 19 strides. And with 22 strides for November 2019,” he added.