New appointees to undergo drug test as Ganduje dissolves cabinet May 29

Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has disclosed that new political appointees will henceforth undergo drug test and clinically certified free from opium before being appointed in the new dispensation.

He also stated that the cabinet and all political appointments would be dissolved on May 29, 2019.

Ganduje, who was reelected for a second term in office after the March 29 supplementary gubernatorial election in Kano, will be inaugurated into office on Wednesday, May 29.

Speaking when he received a delegation of presidential committee on drug abuse led by General Mohammad Buba Marwa (rtd.) yesterday at Government House, Kano, Ganduje stressed that from May 29, new appointments as special assistants, heads of agencies and commissioners will depend on passing the drug test.

Following concerns over abuse of hard substances in Kano, the governor stressed that his administration has concluded necessary arrangement to establish state-owned drug abuse agency to fight drug addiction.

He said the establishment of the agency, which will complement existing institutions, is to further enhance activities of government’s Drug Reformatory Institute (DRI) originally set up for rehabilitation of drug addicts in the state.

Chairman, Presidential Committee on Drugs Abuse, General Marwa told the governor that Northern Nigeria has about 14 million out of school children, of which 10 million are Almajiris.

Marwa, who lamented that Almajiri children were gradually being lured into drug peddling, urged the Kano State government to create special education policy to enroll children in conventional system.

However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday filed petitions before election tribunal sitting in Kano, challenging the declaration of former Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumuni Jibrin and House Chief Whip, Alhassan Ado Doguwa in general elections.

Jibrin represents Kiru Bebeji Federal constituency, while Doguwa represents Tudun-Wada/Doguwa constituency.

The party also filed a petition against representative of Fagge constituency and Chairman, House Committee on Higher Education, Aminu Suleiman Goro, as well as representative of Kumbotso Federal constituency, Munir Baba-AnGundi.

PDP’s petitions have been sent before Justice Nayai Aganaba-led election tribunal, which was inaugurated in Kano yesterday.

Speaking at the tribunal, counsel to PDP, Bashir Yusuf Mohammad told journalists the party has filed 24 petitions for state and National Assembly elections against candidates of All Progressives Congress (APC) who had been declared winners by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).