By Sadeeq Muhammad Umar
Kano state Executive Council has approved the release of N8, 980, 303, 460.63 billion for the construction of Muhammadu Buhari Interchange at NNPC Mega station Rotary Intersection, Hotoro, along Maiduguri Road in the metropolis.
The state commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba disclosed this at a media briefing on the outcome of the weekly council meeting held at the Africa House, Government House, Kano.
He said the project was part of the present administration’s commitment to construct road networks to address increasing traffic congestion in line with its policy of transforming Kano into a Mega City as well as boost commercial activities.
Malam Garba explained that being an emerging mega city and important commercial centre in the country, Kano has been recording significant increase in the influx of commercial traffic and therefore the need to redesign and improve existing road networks to support additional volumes of generated traffic in order to allow for safer and more efficient vehicular movements.
The commissioner also announced that the council has given approval for the release of the sum of N44, 300, 000.00 million for the re-accreditation and resource visitation requirements for Audu Bako College of Agriculture, Dambatta.
He said the departments that the mandatory re-accreditation exercise covers comprise of Agricultural Extension and Management, Forestry Technology, Home and Rural Economics, Bio-Environmental Engineering Technology as well as Library.
Malam Garba revealed other council approval to include utilization of the savings realized from the implementation of Universal Basic Education (UBE) 2019 Normal Fund Intervention Projects amounting to N32, 797, 774.66 million from the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
The projects, he said, include construction of two-blocks of two classrooms at Bakin Kasuwa and Minkyau Primary School, renovation of blocks A and B, renovation of toilets at Minkyau and Bakin Kasuwa Primary Schools respectively.
He said the council has also approved the release of N13, 500, 000.00 million for the procurement of text books titled: Basic Science for Senior Secondary Schools; the sum of N12, 680, 000.00 million; Comprehensive Islamic Studies for Junior Secondary Schools classes 1-3 and Senior Secondary Schools classes 1-3 as well as procurement of Mathematics text books at the cost of N17, 600, 000.00 million.
The commissioner also announced that the council has approved the state Public Debt Management Office Bill 2020 and the transmission of same to the state House of Assembly for passage into law.
Malam Garba said when passed, the law will allow for the establishment of Public Debt Management Office in the state as part of ongoing institutional reforms at all levels of government with a view to achieving the desired objectives of transparency and accountability in governance.
