Kano governor scraps ministry overseen by embattled deputy governor

The Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, has scrapped the ministry overseen by his embattled deputy, Aminu Abdulsalam.

Mr Abdulsalami doubled as the Commissioner for Higher Education, the bureaucracy in charge of the state’s controversial foreign scholarship scheme.

Governor Yusuf announced that under the new directive, the programme will be absorbed by the mainstream Ministry of Education.

The deputy governor is also facing an impeachment notice by the State House of Assembly over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of public trust.

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Mr Abdulsalam, a member of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), declined to join Governor Yusuf and other officials in defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in January.

Sunusi Bature, the spokesperson for Governor Yusuf, in a statement on Sunday, said the governor “approved the merger of the Ministry of Higher Education with the Ministry of Education in a decisive step to strengthen coordination and accelerate reforms in Kano State’s education sector.”

He described the move as a strategic attempt to resolve the friction surrounding the state’s foreign scholarship programmes and to eliminate bureaucratic redundancies by housing all educational tiers under a single cabinet authority.

Mr Bature said the new entity will operate as the Ministry of Education, with a specialised Directorate of Higher Education established within the ministry to oversee tertiary education activities.

The directorate will be headed by a Permanent Secretary and supported by the necessary personnel to ensure effective management of higher education institutions in the state, the statement added.

“Under this restructuring, all agencies under the defunct Higher Education Ministry, such as the Scholarship Board, will return to the Ministry of Education, while state-owned universities and other Higher Education Institutes will also be supervised by the new Directorate under the merged ministry”, the statement added.

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Mr Bature said the move is part of the state government’s ongoing State of Education sector reform, aimed at repositioning the sector, eliminating duplication of responsibilities, improving policy coordination across all levels of education and reducing the cost of governance.

“Governor Yusuf stated that the reform is designed to reduce the cost of governance while enhancing efficiency, accountability, and the overall quality of education administration in Kano State.

“He reiterated that his administration remains fully committed to implementing far-reaching reforms that will revive the education sector and secure a brighter future for the younger generation.

“Consequently, the Office of the Secretary to the State Government and the Office of the Head of Service have been directed to ensure the immediate and seamless realignment of the affected ministries and their respective departments”, Mr Bature stated.