By Hadiza Musa Yusuf
Three out of the four gubernatorial candidates on Saturday were present at the Media trust debate organized by daily trust.
The event tagged, “Trust Nigeria 2023 Elections Debate,” was moderated by Dr Suleiman Suleiman, Deputy Editor in Chief of Daily Trust and Chairman, Editorial Board of the newspaper.
The candidates spoke on reasons they should be the next governor of the state known for its booming commercial activities.
The brainstorming was vividly seen as they disclosed their manifestos in an orderly and peaceful debate aimed at wooing the electorates in the coming polls which is just a few weeks ahead.
The candidate Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna of the APC, Muhammad Sani Abacha of the PDP and Bashir I. Bashir of the Labour party debated on the processes to use in making Kano great.
The Moderator Suleiman A. Suleiman grilled the candidates with different questions ranging from health, education, infrastructure, women, water and sanitation, internal generated revenue among others.
Nasir Yusuf Gawuna while speaking on education said his administration will build on quality education, assuring that free and compulsory education should be given priority.
He added that with his experience in governance, empowering women to be self-reliant is one of his administration’s cardinal objectives.
Mr. Gawuna also added that all sectors are important and will be given priority.
However, reacting to Mr. Gawuna statement, Bashir I. Bashir countered that the APC guber said, ” Free education is not a solution, but rather a subsidized sector will make education more valuable.
He also faulted Gawuna’s on the saying that Kano people are not industrious, “they are industrious but need support from the government.
“I have been to China 15 times and I have seen the way they do, they give out soft loans to people not more than one percent.
“While in Nigeria, precisely Kano banks give out loans more than 1%, the government needs to collaborate with these loan agencies and see how the percentage can be reduced.”
Muhammad Sani Abacha, the PDP candidate assured that when elected, he will give priority to the educational sector stating that all girls must go to school in order to reduce the number of out of school children who are mostly girls.
Recall that a report by UNICEF revealed that currently in Nigeria, there are 18.5 million out-of-school children, of whom 60% are girls.
Abacha decried the inability of the government to provide quality education, and promised to reduce these numbers when elected.
Bashir I Bashir concluded his speech and vowed to give the winner of the gubernatorial election his blueprint which he believes is well mapped out to make the ancient city great.
While the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Abba Kabir Yusuf absence, his campaign Director, publicity, Hisham Habib, said the NNPP candidate was absent because of circumstances beyond his control.
