By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
The Federal Government Palliatives Committee for Kano State, under the chairmanship of the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin, has assured of equitable distribution of the 23,644 – 25kg bags of rice allocated to the state by the Federal Government to people in need.
The committee’s membership is drawn from the All Progressives Congress (APC), New Nigerian People’s Party (NPP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), and religious and traditional rulers.
The panel met at the National Assembly on Thursday to finalise the modalities for distributing the commodity.
Responding to journalists’ questions after the meeting, Barau said the bipartisan committee has worked out detailed modalities for the distribution of the palliatives to prevent diversion and ensure that beneficiaries are actually the neediest members of the public.
Other committee members included the senator representing Kano South Senatorial District, Senator Kawu Sumaila (NNPP)! Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, Hon Abdullahi T. Gwarzo, and the Minister of State (FCT), Dr Mariya Mahmud.
They also included the Kano State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abdullahi Abbas; All APC House of Representatives Members from Kano State; and Hon Kabir Alhassan Rurum of the NNPP.
The list included the Kano State governorship candidate of the APC in the 2023 general election, Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, the Director-General of the National Productivity Centre (NPC), Baffa Babba Dan Agundi, members of the Kano State House of Assembly, and Hajiya Maryam Shettima Ibrahim.
The committee also includes the Deputy Governor of Kano State, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, the Chairman of the NNPP in Kano State, Alhaji Hashimu Dungurawa, and Senator Rufai Sani Hanga (NNPP) of Kano Central Senatorial District.
Barau said, “We just held a meeting regarding a committee set up by Mr. President on distributing palliatives to the needy regarding Kano people.
“You can see we have taken our time to create a modality that the palliatives will be taken to those needing them. The mandate Mr. President has given us is to make the items to be distributed get to the people.”
According to the committee, the rice would be distributed to all the wards in the 44 local government areas of Kano State.
Barau said the ward distribution committee would distribute rice in each ward to the neediest members of the public.
“Beneficiaries shall be listed on a sheet of paper, and each shall be given a bag of rice (25kg) after such a person is identified through a valid means of identification such as a National Identity Card, Driver’s license, Voter’s card, or international passport.
“The list of all beneficiaries with their signatures shall be submitted to the local government committee for onward submission to the state committee.”
Meanwhile, Barau had received a top shot of the PDP) in Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Ali, popularly known as Alin Kano, to APC.
Alin Kano from Dawakin Kudu, a local government area of Kano South Senatorial District, was received by Barau at his office in the National Assembly, Abuja, on Thursday.
The grassroots politician held the title of Garkuwan Tsakuwa and was President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
Welcoming him into the largest party in Africa (APC), Barau described Alin Kano as a hardworking and truthful politician who is always at the forefront of activities relating to youths and students at the national and local levels.
He added that Alin Kano’s joining the party is a victory worthy of celebration and will strengthen the party in Dawakin Kudu, Kano South, Kano State, and the nation at large.
He said, “Today, we are delighted and excited to welcome this hardworking and well-known young politician to our party, Alin Kano. He has been an ardent member of the PDP until today when he joined us.
“With this kind of development, we are becoming stronger every day. We have known him for long, and we know his potential and expertise. As you can see, he already swung into action, as he was accompanied by the leadership of the APC in his own LGA,” he said.
In his speech, Alin Kano said Barau had been his role model and admirer for over 30 years.
He said, “I am here at the office of the Deputy President of the Senate to announce my decamping from PDP to the APC.
“My decision is because of the tremendous projects, interventions, and support the Deputy President of the Senate is doing in Kano and the entire North,” he said.
