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Looming Environmental Catastrophy In Kano Metropolis 

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Murtala Uba

 

By

Murtala Uba Mohammed (PhD)

 

Population and land are arguably the most important resources for development. The population is a catalyst for the production, particularly in the provision of labour for production, agriculture and servicing. It also extends in the provision of the market for finished products. The land is the platform for human dwelling and a ground for erecting the edifice for housing, industry, commerce and other uses too numerous to mention. Recognizing the importance of these resources since antiquity, the struggles and wars between human societies are overwhelming, if not wholly in trying to control them.

 

In the modern time, the level of progress and advancement of any state is measured by it’s ability to manage the lands and population in an efficient way, such that they are geared towards its advancement. Thus, the most developed human societies are those that invest so much in building their human resources through education and in managing their land properly so that the environment will not only look captivating and liveable but resilient in case of calamities may befall.

 

Kano City is one of the most blessed city’s in the world having a large population and abundant land. Located in the Northcentral Highland, Hausa plain covers the trio of Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states and is the most extensive plain in the country. The City houses nearly six million people which makes it the second-largest city in the country and the most important commercial centre north of River Niger. The City, since the 15th Century has been an important route for the Trans-Sahara Trade, serving as a port between the relatively wetter Sudan and Guinea savannas and a drier Sahel Savanna. Because of this and other important reasons such as peace, fertile soils that sustainable agriculture and food demand, mild climate and receptive nature of its old inhabitant, the city continue to attract people from far and near places which make its population to not only grow but to accommodate people of all extraction. It is not strange to hear -especially for those not in touch with history- that Kano is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in black Africa. Deep into the history of the city and even now, many localities in the inner part of the city are not only bearing the names of location and ethnic nationalities but were also known to historically evolved as a result of the settling of people originated from these areas that were assimilated and integrated into the city cultural landscape. Some of these area localities include Tudun Nufawa (for Nupe), Danadalin Turawa (for Arabs) the Yola (Yolawa), Zangon Bare-bare (for Kanuri People, Riman Auzinawa (for Tuaregs), Alfindiki (for Arabs), Yakasai (originally from Jukun word), Ayagi (for Yoruba) among others.

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North:The Architect Of Its Woes, Echoes From Muhammad Sanusi’s Pre- colloquium Lecture

One good feature of a sustainable city is its commitment to maintaining good environment through planning and land use balancing. As explained by some writers such as Frishman, Liman and Adamu and Gambo, Kano is always known to keep aside half or more of its area as green, wetland and open spaces. In fact, Kano has attended the ideal ‘garden city’ status three centuries before Howard’s proposal. For fifteen centuries Sarakuna Kano had recognised the importance of green and reserves based on Khaldun’s principle of humran and hima, which make them keep a larger part of the city open. These areas serve not only as means of improving the city’s beauty but also as protection to the city’s ecosystem. Some of the functions of these reserved areas include serving as a sink for the collection of city’s storm water, maintaining air quality and sound level, soil protection, preserving nature and biodiversity as well as carbon sinking functions. The open areas are also means for ensuring social justice in the urban area as it provides playing facility for inner-city children whose parent are largely poor. Also, the city maintains some of its ancient ponds that collect the rain and waste water to minimize the chances of flood occurrence and ensure recharge of the underlying aquifers which provide the groundwater that still remains the most important water source for the public.

 

While Kano City contains many green areas since its precolonial time. the colonial government had added to the city’s green and open spaces by making good plantation outside the city walls to serve as boundary between the newly colonial areas and the areas of  the natives. Till the of end colonialism and even up to the 1970s, the western part of the city retains largely in its natural setting containing green and forested areas with doted farmlands owned by the urban folk. Towards the end of the colonial period, the then regional government of Northern Nigeria sees the need to plan the city and its region for future development. This conceptualization resulted in the creation of a twenty years Metropolitan Kano Master Plan in 1962. This master plan which is popularly known as Trevallion was supposed to guide the development of the city, specifying what to be done where including the apportioning of many areas for urban greening and maintaining the existing ones. With the creation of Kano State in 1967, the plan met serious setbacks, as the city experienced a serious influx beyond what the plan anticipated. The review of the plan after its expiration indicated a serious deviation, distortions and flaws in the capital of the newly created Kano State.

 

Despite many attempts, including the 1969 establishment of the Metropolitan Planning and Development Authority (KMPA) that metamorphosed into the current Kano Urban Planning Development Authority (KNUPDA), the city remains in a state of poor planning in all its facets of sustainable urban development.  It important to note, since, the expiration of the Trevallion in 1983, there was no comprehensive planning guide for the development of the City. Although the government always prepare the layout of different housing densities, the development in the city remains largely informal. In fact, nearly half of the city is informal in nature. Many factors cannot be overruled for this informal development. Primary among the factors is the government’s nonchalant attitude by leaving urban development at the mercy of the private individuals who acquired farmland in the peri-urban, partitioned and sold it to the teaming population with little or no government involvement. These urban land marketers were mainly interested in what to get from the land business. As such, plots are developed in a very rough and haphazard way as their sizes are not only small but irregular in shape; access is is always the least issue to consider less the provision for infrastructure and essential services. This resulted in a very unhealthy development that is lacking in what is considered as the minimum requirement for a liveable settlement. The present disdainful nature of the building and life pattern of the most prosperous city in the northern part of Nigeria is worrisome and utterly unhealthy not only to the state populace but to any visitor to the state. Thanks to top bureaucracy in formal land acquisition in the country as significantly contribute in depriving poor and low educated from accessing the right to acquire land. There is also issue of land speculators as people discovered the land transaction a very lucrative business, many buy plot not with intention to develop it, but to make the price get higher and fetch bigger profit. It is important to note this systematic exclusion that prompt the people to discover that it is easier to acquire land in a less formal way. This, in the case of Kano, resulted in making nearly half of the city’s landmass informal and more of a shanty settlement.

 

While, it is difficult to exonerate most administration, the recent ones should be blame most as they did not only seat and watch the city’s plan been distorted, rather contribute significantly in its distortion through their deliberate and selfish development. A case of building on and in front of the ancient city’s wall is just one out of thousands. Since, the return of democracy in 1999, the Kano state government’s have made it habitual to allocate land for commercial development on and in front of the wall. This may not only block the view of the ancient relic but a trigger of disaster because these areas were the main collector of city drainage and during rain, they play a significant role in minimizing the run-off and overland flow. In addition, they contribute to the provision of groundwater, which is the main source of water in the city as the public supply remain a nightmare. It is therefore not surprising that we are witnessing cases of floods and serious overland flow whenever it rains heavily. Ironically, in dry season drought is now a regular visitor to the most city as the water table keep own depleting due to poor recharge attributed to poorly managed urbanization which is not only blind to see and deaf hear the call of concerned voices.

 

Although it is legitimate for the state government to search for revenue especially now that the allocation coming from the centre is dwindling, the metropolitan administrator should not turn mad. One needs to remind the city administrator that “talauci ba hauka  ba ne” (to be poor is not insane) to bring them to come back to their senses. The deliberate favouring of one land use over the other is one of sad development in the city. The city handlers are only interested in commercial land uses as such any open, green and water space is now converted into a commercial plot, leading to a skewed and stunted growth. While the open spaces provide help in socialization and harmonic environmental balancing. Sad to note, the state government did not care to preserve them. The recent conversion of historical Eid ground which is not only a sacred place a recreation site for the neighbouring communities is one of the most unfortunate development. Thanks to the pressure from many civil societies, academics and other commentators, the city might have lost another valuable treasure, Kano Zoological Garden just the way its lost other green areas like the plantations along Maiduguri Road in the eastern part of the Metropolis.  Rather than maintaining the city ponds and other blue areas, the city government use the security as a smoke screen to convert all the green areas and wetlands by the city wall along BUK road to commercial plot. This was done in spite all the warning from concern specialists include over hundred academics that signed a partition warning the government the consequent of its action as the place is the main collector of city’s drain.

 

Therefore considering the above one can infer as to why the floods are becoming a regular visitor in the city. After every heavy rain, the metropolitan road turns into channels connecting running water, carrying waste and other hazardous materials that end up in the public dwelling making the society vulnerable. In fact,  like Gwarzo Road and many others including Dorayi area along Jaafar Mahmoud Road, one may wait for an hour or two after rain to get access to the localities around. This, unless action is taken and healthy development is embrace, may throw the city in a serious problem. As the world is facing changing climate trends that triggers many uncertainties and extreme events, sustainable development is seen as a magic wand. The recent floods that heated China and some European countries is just one example of how flood disaster look like in the current period. The level of destruction was high, although these societies have better planning. One cannot imaging what will happen if Kano (Allah forbid) is affected by the same. While sane societies are taking good measures to address this issue through creating adequate waterways, greening the city and planning the environment ours is a reverse where people and government care little about the situation. Although some three to four years back the state government initiated a Master Plan for the city, the Master Plan is yet to be made a legal document. Even though the government is silent on the issue, I had it from a reliable source that the main reason why the Master Plan has not been released and fully documented for the operation was that the government did not pay the consultants for three years after the work. The state administrators need to be reminded of the word of noble African, Professor Ali Mazrui that the essence of power is to build the nation. The earlier we realize this the better. Let the state commits herself to planning and knows that government business is to serve and save society. After all, when society is destroying you have no one to govern. People need to be healthy and protected before for the state government to get good revenue.

 

Murtala is urban geographer teaching at Bayero University, Kano

(murtalamuhammadu@gmail.com)

 

 

 

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Kano Women Battle for Bed Spaces at Major Hospitals, Leaving Many Stranded or Worse – Dead

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Baby Amina is yet to cry over a week after her birth, as no bed available at tertiary health facilities

Aisha Ahmad Ismail

It was a dark day for Malama Khadija, who despite heavy bleeding with no pads on has been on the road for almost 8 hours, seeking help for a baby that has not cried a day after birth even after visiting 9 hospitals in Kano.

The new mother was forced to ride in her husband’s tricycle, ignoring the dripping blood as they went to 9 hospitals, none accepted them for mainly reasons of bed space

Khadija birthed a girl on Monday, when health care workers at asibitin Bela noticed the child did not cry, and later referred them to Hasiya Bayero Pediatric Hospital for better access to professionals.

Here, a security guard asked them to ‘not waste their time’ as they do not care for children who did not cry at birth.

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Other hospitals, the new parents visited Murtala Muhammad specialist where the father said the child was first checked, and her legs pinched with ‘something’.
They were later asked to leave for lack of bed space, and referred to another hospital.

The worried mother held the little girl now named Aminatu as they headed to Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital. There, the doctors refused to attend to the child because they were on strike.

Malam Bala, the new father and a tricycle rider told this reporter that a police officer threatened to shoot a doctor for delayed attendance to his daughter born with similar condition to his. Doctors asked them to leave.

The brave new parents jostled the new born to another pediatric hospital; Sheikh Khalifa Isyaku Rabiu Pediatrics Hospital along Zoo Road, and their hopes were raised when a doctor started checking on her. A few minutes later, she came up with the same answer as the specialist hospital – no bed space.

Again, they left for Aminu Kano Teaching hospital with the help of a philanthropist they met on their long, hope dashing journey, Hajiya Binta and like before, there was no available bed space.

The parents, exhausted but not giving up on their child, went to a private health facility, where a bed space costs N10,000 per night, something the father said he could not afford if not for the charitable efforts of Hajiya Binta.

With her help, they paid for file N5,000, tests to be run on little Aminatu N6,000, drugs cost N15,000 and an injection N4,000.

He said they were able to spend just one night, as the expenses were much and he had to owe the hospital N21, 000.
Little Aminatu did not cry 7 days after her birth at which was the time of filing this report, and her parents are at home hoping one day, she would cry or stay quiet forever.

Khadija’s case is amongst the many maternal health related complications in the state; in Sept. 2022, a lady, Zainab lost her child and her life at Murtala Muhammad Specialist hospital; in February 2023, a woman now late Hajiya Shema’u Sani Labaran bled to death due to lack of cash at hand for treatments.
In 2024, an investigation by Solace base led to a whole community of women at Mazan Gudu community, Gabasawa LGA who survive pregnancy and childbirth on luck.

These are not isolated cases; but few of the many increasing preventable deaths at childbirth. According to UNICEF in 2018, Nigeria contributes 14% of global maternal deaths. The global body says at least 262, 000 babies die at birth, as the infant mortality rate stands at 69% per 1,000 births.

According to the National Health Care Development Agency 145 women die daily at childbirth in the country, with the highest figures coming from Northern Nigeria.

The staggering figures of maternal mortality and morbidity must have alarmed the Kano state government, leading to finding ways to ease the burden, amongst which is the creation of the Kano State Health Trust Fund created in 2017.
Women Die at Birth Despite Government’s Claimed Enhanced Funding
“I just returned from the burial of a woman who died from childbirth complications, the child is alive and hearty.”

This is the response of the Ja’en ward head, located at Sharada, Gwale LG, Isma’il Sa’ad Usman to the question of maternal mortality and morbidity is his domain.

He said he is not entirely sure why, but despite government’s interventions and NGOs, maternal deaths are not uncommon in many areas in Kano, including his.

Our trip to the primary health care in the area was really short, as health officers were ‘afraid’ of the media.

The Ja'en PHC was bustling with women hoping to get ante-natal care

The Ja’en PHC was bustling with women hoping to get ante-natal care

However, one officer who spoke briefly said women at the local level are wising up to accessing health facilities like theirs, adding that the state has trained officers enabling them to quickly refer to complicated births to higher facilities.
Interviews at some primary health care facilities reveal reduced death rates at the facilities.

A tour of Gwagwarwa primary health care showed women showing up for antenatal as health personnel move around to cater for their needs.

A health personnel at the facility who spoke on anonymously said though there are deaths at childbirth or after due to complications, they mostly occur at secondary and tertiary institutions or at home.

 

Image 3 . Women attending ante natal at Gwagwarwa PHC

Women attending ante natal at Gwagwarwa PHC

The health officer revealed that whenever a complication arises from birth, they are quick to refer to more qualified facilities, but lack of bed spaces of money for basic things make the patients return home, only to later die from preventable health complications.

According to the source, they have heard stories of deaths of either mother and child, or one of the two afterwards.

The village head of Gama, Malam Rabi’u Muhd Isyaku said people are poor, and have resorted to seeking help from Friday mosques or radio stations to treat maternal health problems.

He said there are reports of maternal mortality, but it hardly goes public as they are mostly recorded at home.

“I am always heart broken when I hear a plea for help to cater for a pregnant woman during or after birth,” he added.
Nurse Laments Maternal Mortality; Blames Shortage of Staff .

Nurse Maimuna works at one of the government hospitals in Kano, she said they have recorded deaths at different stages of childbirth.

She said they have recorded deaths due to obstructed labor and prolonged labor that comes late to the hospital.

The nurse added that some women labor (active labor) for 20-30 hours, contrary to the ‘normal’ hours, leading to eventual deaths of both mother and child, or just the child.

Nurse Maimuna lamented how they are overwhelmed with patients that they skip women who are in need in urgent help or C-section.

She has witnessed few women die due to work overload that distracts health personnel at tertiary some institutions.
KHETFUND: Improved Maternal Health Care Promises Fulfilled?

In 2017, the Kano government led by former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje championed the State Trust Fund to help augment the state budget on health, including maternal and newborn health.
Speaking with this reporter, the former state health commissioner, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa said the law mandates 5% of the fund’s money to the health sector.

He said from the time of Governors Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso to Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and Abdullahi Ganduje, there has been a free birth and post birth policy which all governments sustained irrespective of political ideologies.

Former health commissioner Kano, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa

Former health commissioner Kano, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa

However, there are times when the budget funds are not released on time, or the government is starved of cash, thus the 5% of the fund to ensure the maternal and childbirth ‘always’ gets the necessary attention and funds.
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Also speaking with this reporter, the director operations, KHETFUND, Dr. Muhamad Lawan Adamu said the 5% for maternal and children is on standing order and has never been delayed, unlike funds meant for hospitals- from primary to tertiary, institutions and others.

According to him, the 5% is handed over to the Kano Hospitals Management Board monthly.

According to another official of KHETFUND, Hamisu Abubakar who is the director admin and services, there has been constant cash flow into the fund from the mandatory 5% monthly IGR and 1% from LGAs allocation since the inception of the current Abba Kabir Yusuf administration, signaling that the fund is not starved of funds.
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KHETFUND Budget Performance
The Kano State Health Care Fund mandates that 50% of the budget be allocated to hospital (Pri, Secondary and Tertiary), 25% to health education institutions 2% to running of the fund, 2% to the vulnerable groups, 5% to maternal health care.

Kano budget performance shows low performance of the KHETFUND; however, this does not affect the 5% maternal health care fund as confirmed by officials of KHETFUND.

The 1st quarter of 2024 budget shows 0% performance of the budget despite the allocation of N800,000,000 to the fund as shown on page 7.

With a budget of N1,200,000,000 in 2023, the fund recorded only 2.1% budget performance, also as seen on page 7 of the document.

With a budget of N1,400,000,000 in 2022, KHETFUND had a 5% budget performance as seen on page 6 of the budget performance document.

YEAR
AMOUNT
PERFORMANCE %

2024
N800m
0%

2023
N1.2bn
2.1%

2022
N1.4bn
5%

Source: Kano budget performance documents

The low performance, according to a KHETFUND official, is not unconnected to the fact that hospitals and institutions do not write to the fund requesting for their needs.

Dr. Muhamad Lawan Adamu, director operations of the fund said they disburse funds only when requested and after due process – with the exception of the maternal health 5% of course.
Despite 5% KHETFUND Maternal Allocation, Why Maternal Health Crisis?
A trip to the Kano Hospital Management Board as directed by the Kano State Health Ministry through the spokesperson, Ibrahim Abdullahi led me to the office of the officer in charge KHETFUND at the board.

He however refused to speak for ‘lack of authorization’ to speak with the media on the issue.

Another trip to the board revealed that the 5% fund from KHETFUND was received regularly. Speaking anonymously, an official said there are many factors for persistent problems with maternal health in Kano.

The first issue the official raised was that the fund was only meant to ‘augment’ needs in the sector, and this will be based on request.

The second problem the official noted was lack of enough doctors/health personnel to man any additional bed or space at the hospitals thus the fund was used to purchase drugs and all other valuables/instruments, including for CS to care for pregnant women and the babies.

NGOs Worry Over Shortage of Bedspaces, underutilization of PHCs
Sanusi Hashim, is the contact person for Society for Child Support and Economic Empowerment, he said they are worried by widely reported maternal deaths despite increased funding and positive government policies.

According to him, many factors are responsible for the trend including
Under utilization of PHCs; According to the officer, they have come to understand that most pregant women would rather go to the ‘bigger’ hospitals that the Primary Health Cares within their locality. Though some PHCs are in terrible conditions, many have been improved to even carry out Cesarean Sections should the need arise. He said these could have eased pressure on the secondary and tertiary health facilities in the state, reduce mortality rate further and provide adequate health care to both mother and child – free of charge.

Lack of bed spaces: Due to the inflow of patients from all 44 LGAs in Kano, Mr. Hashim Sa’id there is congestion and lack of space. He revealed that a tour to one of the tertiary hospitals; Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital showed no bed space available to cater for more patients. This he said.

NGO Provides Additional Solutions to Maternal Mortality and Morbidity
Society for Child Support and Economic Empowerment said there is urgent need for government to equip, upgrade and provide adequate personnel at ‘all’ primary health care centers in the state.

The contact person, of the organization, Sanusi Hashim says this will take excellent health care to the doorstep of the masses in all LGA, thus reduce pressure on the secondary and tertiary institutions.

After that, he advocates for intensive campaign on the importance and need for pregnant women to patronize PHCs in their areas.

Sanusi also called on the Kano State Government to increase wards and bed spaces at all health facilities.
On their parts, traditional leaders at Sharada Ja’en and Gwagwarwa seek increased funding and special packages for the poor in the society.

 

 

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How Maryam Abacha Varsity Produced 5 Provosts of Nursing Colleges, 1,000 Lab Scientists, 100 Lawyers, Others in 12 Years

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Twelve years after its establishment, the Maryam Abacha American University of Niger (MAAUN), in Maradi, Niger Republic, has produced five Provosts of Nursing Colleges in Borno, Yobe, and Bauchi States.

Dr. Hadiza Sabo a graduate of Nursing from the University is the current Provost of Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery, in Damaturu, Yobe state.

Varsity Appoints Gombe Emir As Chancellor

Equally, Dr. Hadiza Yahya is serving as Provost, College of Nursing Sciences in Maiduguri, Borno state, while Dr. Rakiya Saleh is the Provost College of Nursing Sciences in Bauchi, Bauchi state. The trio of Rakiya and the two aforementioned Hadizas all bagged their first and postgraduate degrees from MAAUN.

In addition, Kiloh Nifor who is also the Provost, College of Nursing Sciences in Jalingo, Taraba state, and Dr. Yusuf Bello, the Provost, Kaduna State College of Nursing Sciences, are also alumni of the university.

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MAAUN, which was founded in 2013, is owned by Professor Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo, a philanthropist and French Linguistics scholar.

Politics Digest also reports that the Faculty of Law of the premier Ivory Tower, established only in 2015, has produced over 400 law graduates, with more than a hundred of them already called to the Nigerian Bar.

In addition, over 1,000 Medical Laboratory Scientists produced by MAAUN are presently working in Nigeria, while no fewer than 700 of them are practicing abroad.

It would be recalled that the institution was the first to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in Niger Republic, where thousands of nursing officers trooped for their university education from different countries.

“The Nursing Degree programme greatly increased the number of nursing graduates in Nigeria. The university started offering Nursing in 2012 and has so far graduated over 2,000 graduates who are rendering their services at different hospitals in Nigeria and abroad,” said the university’s President, Prof. Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo.

Barrister Umar Isa Sulaiman, a law lecturer at MAAUN, while informing Politics Digest that their Faculty commenced academic activities in 2013, said: “Our graduates are working in different government agencies and parastatals. Some are Sharia Court Judges, Magistrates, and some are working in the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

“Also, a high number of our graduates are in private practice. We do meet and appear before different courts. I can categorically tell you that they are doing wonderfully well as advocates.”

Furthermore, the Prof. Adamu Gwarzo-owned university has been positively impacting the lives of several Nigerians.

A MAAUN graduate of Nursing, Hamisu Iliyasu, who hailed from Sokoto State, told this newspaper how his alma mater produced many Directors and Heads of Nursing Colleges in Nigeria.

“You know universities in the North don’t offer Nursing; you either go to the South or you end up retiring at Level 14 as a civil servant. But our prestigious Maryam Abacha American University came to the rescue of so many of us, and we are grateful,” he said.

According to Dr. Kabiru Mahmud, a staff member of the Medical Laboratory Sciences Department of MAAUN, “Our great and pace-setting university has helped increase the number of Medical Laboratory Scientists, not only in Northern Nigeria but in the country at large. We have students from across the country.

“Some came from Lagos, Benin, and Ibadan. I can categorically tell you that Maryam Abacha American University of Niger has the highest number of young Medical Laboratory Scientists in Nigeria.

“Before now, one could hardly find someone with a degree in this field, but only a Diploma. But MAAUN came and provided the opportunity to many undergraduates. Go to Federal Medical Centres across the country, and you will find it difficult counting the number of their staff who are our products.”

Checks by this newspaper further revealed that some MAAUN alumni are presently working at the National Hospital in Abuja and the Mallam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, AKTH, in Kano state.

The university according to findings has the highest number of Nurses working in Canada, USA and other foreign countries from West Africa.

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Hotoro Residents Threaten to Vote Out Leaders in 2027 Over Dilapidated Road

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The untarred and dilapidated road

Residents of Hotoro in Kano State are voicing their growing frustration with local and state leaders over the deplorable condition of a key road in their community. In interviews with Nigerian Tracker, the residents expressed deep dissatisfaction and issued a warning that they may withhold their votes in the 2027 elections if their concerns continue to be ignored.

Shehu Usman, a long-time resident of Hotoro, articulated the sentiments of many in the area. “Our area is a vote bank, not just in Nassarawa Local Government but across the whole of Kano State,” Usman said. “Yet, the road is no longer passable in both the rainy and dry seasons, and those we elected—from the Governor to the Chairman and even the legislators—seem not to care about the deplorable state of this road.

The road in question, which remains untarred, stretches from the Ring Road around Nur Petroleum Junction, passes through Hotoro Primary and Secondary Schools, and ends at the Hotoro Police Division. The poor state of the road has been a long-standing issue, but despite repeated complaints, nothing has been done to address it.

Iliya Musa, another concerned resident, lamented that politicians only seem to care about the community during election season. “During election season, politicians flock to our area, making promises and shaking hands. But once they are in office, they turn a deaf ear to our problems,” Musa said. “This road could easily be constructed, but our leaders have ignored us, and now, it feels like the area is turning into a slum.”

As 2027 approaches, the residents of Hotoro are making it clear that their votes will not be taken for granted. If their elected leaders fail to address the worsening conditions in the community, they may face a harsh electoral backlash from a constituency that has had enough of broken promises.

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