- Ganduje vows to sign death warrant if suspect is convicted
Angered by the gruesome of a five-year-girl Hanifa Abubakar, by a private school proprietor, the Kano State Government has revoked the Certificates of Operations of all private schools in the state.
The government has asked all the schools to come for revalidation of their certificates.
Hanifa Abubakar was kidnapped for ransom and later killed by her teacher and the proprietor of a private school, Noble Kids Academy.
The state Commissioner for Education, Sanusi Kiru, announced the decision on Monday at a news conference in Kano.
He said, “We are all aware of the ongoing case concerning Hanifa’s death as she was gruesomely murdered by a suspect called Abdulmalik Tanko who is the proprietor of Noble Kids Academy.
“In view of the sad incidence, especially regarding how she was murdered in the private school, the state government has decided to withdraw the certificate of all private schools for revalidation.”
He explained that the ministry of education would set the criteria for their recertification.
He noted that a panel had been constituted comprising of the Ministry of Justice, Department of State Service, Civil Defence, private school owners association, and other agencies to look into the revalidation of all private schools in Kano State.
The Commissioner said the revalidation exercise would be fast-tracked for smooth conduct.
Kiru noted that students in private schools, whose operational licenses would not be restored after the exercise, would be transferred to other schools.
“Presently we have seven directorates for private schools headed by a director and the 44 Local Government Areas of the state have been zoned to these directorates.
“If we discover that any private school not registered operating, after the exercise, the director in-charge of the zone would answer questions on that,” he added.
Meanwhile, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has promised to abide by the constitutional provision in his capacity as the governor to assent to death sentence in the circumstance, when passed by Court, over the gruesome murder of five-year-old pupil, Hanifa Abubakar Abba.
Ganduje made the promise during his condolence visit, alongside his Deputy, Dr Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, Majority Leader, State House of Assembly, Labaran Abdul Madari and other top government functionaries, to Abdulsalam Abubakar family’s residence in Dakata/Kawaji, Monday.
“We have good confirmation from the court handling the process that justice would be done. No stone would be left unturned,” he disclosed.
He assured that “whoever that is found guilty of this heinous offence will also face death, without wasting any time. As a government, we have already started the process.”
Ganduje said, “Our constitution provides that when a death sentence is passed, it is the constitutional power of the governor to assent for the execution of the culprit. I assure you all that I will not waste even one second.”
On the speed of the proceedings, he further encouraged that there would be speedy dispensation of justice, adding that “Government will take good care of the family of our late child Hanifa of blessed memory.”
On the schools affected by this tragedy, Ganduje disclosed that government would do something about the schools.
