Rostrum Collapses At Kano Inauguration Ceremony

• As Gov Abba Yusuf vows to probe Ganduje’s N241bn debt

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – The podium at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, the venue of the inauguration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, collapsed on Monday with no record of any casualties by the government officials.

Reports from the venue indicated that the crowd which fastened onto the erected pillars contributed to the collapsed podium that had the Kano Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Usaini Gumel, on it when the ugly incident occurred.

However, with the prompt response and intervention of the various security operatives on hand, the stage was held in place for many dignitaries to escape to safety unhurt.

According to eyewitness accounts, despite the collapsed rostrum, the excitement among the huge crowd that converged at the stadium for the inauguration ceremony was quite palpable.

Meanwhile, at the official handover event that took place at Government House, Kano earlier, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf (aka Abba Gida Gida), vowed to probe the administration of ex-Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje over the N241 billion it left behind as debt.

Slamming former Governor Ganduje for “departing from established democratic” practice by leaving the state and not personally handing over the state government to him, Governor Yusuf described as inadequate and very scanty the handover notes presented to his administration through the outgoing Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

He said; “The handover notes are not enough for us. It is a very scanty note. The Transition Committee report was also very scanty. Nothing we can do as representatives of the state, we can’t refuse to collect what was given to us. We will look at it. Where we are satisfied, we will take action. Where we are also not satisfied, we will also take action accordingly.

“It is so disheartening that the government left a debt profile of over N241 billion for us. Where are we going to source the money? The IGR they talk about is nothing to write home about. The money they realized through Kano Internal Revenue Service was nothing to write home about.

“Why the use of so many consultants? Just like rain conduit for the resources of the people of Kano state. We are going to look at it. I am not satisfied!”