Kano Rally : President Jonathan attacks Kwakwanso, accuses governor of improper use of government funds

 

Mr. Jonathan said the Kano government under Mr. Kwakwanso has received over N255 billion as local government funds since 2011.

President Goodluck Jonathan, Tuesday, accused the Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwakwanso, of improper use of the state’s local government funds since assuming office.

The president made the accusation during the rally to officially welcome Ibrahim Shekarau, a former Kano governor, to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Mr. Shekarau decamped to the PDP from the All Progressives Congress, APC, in January after the incumbent joined the latter from the PDP late last year.

Speaking at the rally, Mr. Jonathan said the Kano government under Mr. Kwakwanso has received over N255 billion as local government funds since 2011. He asked the 44 council chairmen in Kano to challenge the governor on what he has done with the funds.

The president also said that contrary to Kano governor’s claim, Mr. Kwakwanso did not support him in the 2011 presidential primaries of the PDP.

The governor recently said he regretted ever supporting the president during the primaries and for the 2011 elections. He said he would not receive the president when he arrived Kano because of Mr. Jonathan’s poor performance as president.

In his reaction at the rally, Mr. Jonathan said Mr. Kwakwanso did not vote for him at the PDP presidential primaries.

He said when it became clear to everybody that Mr. Jonathan would win the primaries, held at the Eagles Square, Abuja, Mr. Kwankwaso left the venue midway to the elections.

“How can he therefore say he elected me,” Mr. Jonathan said.

The president also accused Mr. Kwakwanso of refusing to release money provided for Kano delegates’ refreshment.

Mr. Jonathan, who did not make any reference to 2011 general elections, said that Mr. Kwankwaso did not also give Kano PDP delegates monies provided for them as allowance to facilitate their movement to the venue of the primaries.

While speaking on the federal government’s plan for Kano, Mr. Jonathan said the federal government was committed to agriculture and that groundnut pyramids would soon return to the state.

In his speech, Mr. Shekarau called on President Jonathan to do something about the lingering poverty in the state.

He urged him to help the people of the state by revamping the irrigation and Fadama farming, saying, this would create employment opportunities to the residents

Mr. Shekarau assured the president that if he does this, PDP would get massive votes from residents of the state in 2015.

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