Group demands govt’s commitment to tackling poverty, insecurity in Kaduna

The Renewed Kaduna Restoration Group (RKRG), a nonpartisan organization, has called on the Federal Government and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, to exhibit unwavering commitment in the war against poverty, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminal activities in Kaduna State and Nigeria.

Th Group made the call in a Communiqué issued on Saturday at a meeting of its assessment and position marking the “Democracy Day” and 365 Days in Office of Elected and Appointed Public Officers from Kaduna State.

The Communiqué was jointly signed by Dr. Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan, Chairman, Renewed Kaduna Restoration Group
(RKRG), and Yahaya Ibrahim Shinko, Secretary, Renewed Kaduna Restoration Group
(RKRG).

It stated that the challenges facing Kaduna State are multifaceted and complex, and require a collective effort and shared vision to overcome.

It said,”The Renewed Kaduna Restoration Group (RKRG), a nonpartisan registered association, under the leadership of Dr. Ahmed Tijjani Ramalan (FCILT, FCIS, FNI-UK, ARPA) held a meeting to mark the occasion of the year 2024 Democracy Day and 365 days in office of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, today, Saturday, the 25th day of May, 2024, at the Crocodile Hotel, Kanta Road, Kaduna.

“The RKRG, founded upon the principles of democracy, good governance, transparency, and collaboration, recognizes that the challenges facing Kaduna State as its constituency are multifaceted and complex, requiring a collective effort and shared vision to overcome. It, therefore, adopts its strategic plan for engagement with the Government of Kaduna State, under the abled leadership of Governor Uba Sani by affirming its defined objectives such as advocacy for improved representation, quality infrastructure, promotion of quality education, enhancement of healthcare delivery services, local and community relations, job and wealth creation through youth/women empowerment, peace building, and conflict resolution, as well as rendering assistance to constituted authorities for the maintenance of security, rule of law and order in the State.

“RKRG expresses its deepest sympathy and support to the people and Government of Kaduna State, in particular, and other States of the Federation in general over the precarious security challenges affecting the States, and calls the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, respectively, to exhibit steadfastness and unwavering commitment in the war against poverty, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminal activities in Kaduna State and Nigeria.

“RKRG appreciates and commends President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for recognizing, appointing and entrusting the sons and daughters of Kaduna State with the apex position of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Christopher Musa, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Alhaji Abdullahi-Dattijo, the Corps Marshal Federal Road Safety Corps Shehu Mohammed Sulikin Zazzau, and many other citizens of Kaduna State appointed to man various strategic positions in the Federal Government of Nigeria within the period now under assessment review in the first one year in office of this administration.”

According to the Communiqué, RKRG enjoins the Kaduna State Government to consider and strengthen the roles of District and Village Heads on intelligence gathering by ensuring regular Local Government Council Security Committee Meeting with reporting to the appropriate quarters, which is of vital importance to the success of the security agencies’ fight against all forms of criminality and sustenance of peaceful and secured living among the various communities in the State, which has been grossly impeded by the ill-advised sacking of about 307 District Heads by the last administration of Ahmed Nasiru Elrufa’i.

“RKRG also calls and enjoins the Kaduna State Government to consider the extant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999,as amended which recognizes three tiers of government, namely the Federal, State and Local Governments, to repeal and abolish the Zaria Metropolitan Authority, Kaduna Capital Territory Authority and Kafanchan Municipal Authority, respectively, whose creation in our view is inconsistent to the relevant constitutional provisions, particularly as to wrongful deduction and conversion of the resources of the democratically elected Local Government Council authorities to fund and carter such authorities to carry out the functions meant for the degraded Local Government Councils, but the call was to no avail, and led to challenging the matter in the Kaduna State High Court of Justice by the RKRG, in partinership with other concerned progressives in the State.

“RKRG calls and enjoins the Kaduna State Government to consider and amend the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (Consolidated Tax) Law, KASUPDA Law, and Kaduna State Market Development Agency Law respectively with a view to relieving the 23 Local Government Councils of the State from the bondage of the immediate administration’s usurping excesses inflicted upon their constitutional powers, which negatively impedes their ability to function effectively by arbitrarily confiscating, managing and controlling their constitutionally enshrined revenue sources, collection of their internally generated revenue, and administration of the tax law in the State, against the provisions of the Constitution.

“RKRG calls and enjoins the Kaduna State Government to consider and amend the Kaduna State Local Government Law 2018 by the immediate past administration by which only in Kaduna State the Local Government Councils established by the 1999 Constitution are operating with a structure of three or four departments, against the extant provisions of Chapter 1 of the Financial Memoranda as existing law of the Federation, which provides for the structure, composition, finance, duty, and procedural of exercising the executive powers of the Local Governments shall be Seven (7) distinct Departments under Director of Administration and General Services Department, Director of Finance Department/Treasurer to the Local Government, Director Agriculture and Natural Resources Department, Director Budget, Planning, Research and Statistics Department, Director/Coordinator, Primary Health Care Department, Director Social Development, Education, Information, Sports and Culture Department, and Director Works, Transport, Housing, Lands and Survey Department, respectively, and to provide employment opportunities for senior and junior cadre among the teeming youth in the State,” it stated.

The called and enjoined the Kaduna State Government to consider, and amend the Kaduna State Ministries Restructuring Notice No. 1 of 2019 of immediate former administration, which provides for appointment of a few commissioners, which defeats the essence of having an all-inclusive State Executive Council that ought to recognize, comprise and reflect the diversity of the people and communities of the 23 Local Government Areas of the State with a view to promoting a sense of belonging, loyalty, and ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few Local Government Areas or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in conducting the affairs of the State Government as required by the Constitution, 1999 (as amended).

“RKRG notes the importance, role and need for restoring the erstwhile Kaduna State Ministry of Information as an organ in governance, which is responsible for information management, publicity and maintaining constant vibrant communication of government activities to the public, National Information Policy Uniformity, Preservation of History, Advocacy and Mass Mobilization, and Protecting Public Relations Officers and coordinating their activities in the State.

“RKRG has noted and appreciates the Kaduna State Government of Governor Uba Sani for the reduction by 30% of the exorbitant school fees in tertiary institutions, which was imposed by the former administration, and bold step of moving students of secondary schools situate in security prone areas to a more conducive environment with a view to ensuring their safety and uninterrupted studies within the school calendar, and to consider further reduction of the school fees, and improve the overhead cost of the various institutions in the State.

“RKRG upholds the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and responsiveness in its engagement with Senator Uba Sani’s administration, and committed to fostering an environment of open communication, constructive dialogue, and evidence-based decision-making to ensure that the voices of our communities are heard and respected, and urges the State Government and the House of Assembly to go further by doing a thorough forensic auditing of the State’s accounts from 29th day of May, 2015 to 29th day of May, 2023,” the Communiqué stated.

According to it, RKRG remains mindful of the voices and perspectives of all stakeholders, ensuring that its objectives at all material time reflect the diversities and inclusivity of Kaduna State; to forge a path towards a future defined by resilience, prosperity, and dignity for all stakeholders who form our constituency (Kaduna State).

It recognizes and commends the leadership style of the Speaker House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajjuddeen, and reminds him that within the hierarchy of the national leadership, his able office is number 4, which is a privilege and opportunity to carry all elected members of the various Federal Constituencies of Kaduna State along, irrespective of political party affiliation, to accomplish all possible achievements of dividends of democracy, and make Kaduna State and people of Kaduna State proud.

“RKRG finally congratulate all Kaduna State Elected Members in the State and National Assembly in this occasion of Democracy Day and 365 days in office, but wishes and to strongly advise them to take the full interest of the people of the Kaduna State in the ongoing constitutional amendment/alteration processes, as we are watching and taking notes with keen interest as national issues unfold in the following areas: Political and Economic Restructuring, State Creation and Local Government Autonomy, State Police, Constitutional Roles for Traditional Rulers, Electoral Reforms, Strengthening Independence of Institutions, Removal of Immunity Clause, Devolution of Powers, and Revenue Allocation and other,” the Communiqué noted.