Firstly, it is a fact that Kano state has been named as one of the states with the high number of VVF patients. This may be due to the fact that Kano state is one of the most populous states in the federation. This perhaps, is why whatever problem arises in the northern part of the country, the state gets a higher rate than other states. 

Secondly, it is because Kano state government gives free medical care to VVF patients from neighbouring countries like Niger and Cameroon, and within the country. There are even some on the waiting list for the VVF operation.

Another reason is that the rehabilitation unit which is under the Ministry of Women Affairs, takes care of recuperating patients, clothes them, feeds them and gives them vocational training for easier and proper reintegration into their families, communities and the medical unit of VVF, under the Murtala Muhammed Hospital, Kano, overseen by the state ministry of health.

What is your ministry doing to curb incessant divorce?

The issue of divorce is not different from any other state in the country. We are collaborating with the Ulamas and the media to sensitise couples on the repercussion of divorce, especially where children are involved.

The Kano state government in collaboration with the DFID initiated the Justice Reform Committee, the Multi Door Court and other conflict resolution programmes and agencies such as the Hisbah to deal with the issue. In the same way, we have done some work under the Societal Reorientation programme, called Zauren shawara, ‘Parlour’ for women, through which people are taught how conflicts within the family can be resolved. It also brings about better understanding of family rights. The project was replicated by some northern states. 

 We hope that through these programmes, we will be able to bring down drastically, the number of women divorced in the state.

 What is government doing about girl child education?

The present administration in Kano has given girls from poor homes, scholarship to study from the primary to university level.

This development has given opportunity to low income earners interested in educating their daughters, to do so.

For those parents who do not want their daughters to get western education, there are options like the Arabic schools, the Tahfiz which is purely Qur’anic school, secular or science schools.

 It was started in some local government areas of the state but now all local governments have a centre for Girl child education. It is under the state Universal Basic Education but the state government provides them with teaching materials and skills for vocational training.

Again, there is another project which the state government initiated through the office of the Societal Reorientation or Adai daita sahu, called Fansan yen’ Talla, which literarily means ‘freeing girls from hawking’, because most of these girls are made to hawk on the streets by their parents due to economic reasons. The government empowered the women and mothers of such girls so that they can have revenue generating activities in their homes to enable them help their families without sending their daughters to hawk, instead the girls go to school.

However, some parents did not want their daughters to go to boarding schools in another town or the metropolitan so the state government established the Junior and Senior Day Secondary Schools in every local government area of the state to serve this purpose.    

 What is your take on the trend of drug abuse among youths, especially girls?

I am a member of the Justice Reform Committee in the state, the committee deals with issues concerning the law, and we discovered that drug abuse among youths was one such problem that we had. But the government is working with the state NDLEA to fight the menace and have gone ahead to provide patrol vehicles for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to enhance their work.

This development has brought down the level of drug abuse to a barest minimum, though regrettably, the drug dealers have now moved to the rural areas. But a law has been passed by the state House Assembly, to deal with these issues.

How are you handling the increase in maternal mortality rates?

Maternal mortality is brought about by a lot of factors which includes unavailability of health facilities and accessibility to such facilities especially in rural areas and other poor communities. We now have, in every local governments, comprehensive health care centres with some upgraded to General Hospitals. And in the wards, there are dispensaries where drugs are kept. However, the issue is about getting women in labour to the hospital in time to avoid complications. 

How has Adaidaita sahu made impact on the lives of the people?

It has made great impact on the lives of the Kanawas in so many ways, it has sensitised people to wake up to the level of indiscipline in the society, to ensure law and order. In the past, riots easily erupts at the slightest sign of provocation or problem within or outside the state, or for either political or religious reasons, but the last time we had any kind of unrest in the state was in 2004 and since then peace has come to stay. The problem of yen’ daba groups have also reduced drastically.

 How have you been able to improve the lots of women? 

I work for the state government so whatever I do, has to be done through government which has initiated several programmes to empower women, and educate them and that is the best any government can do  for women.

What have you achieved as an educationist?  

In all the schools I have taught, I served as principal. The only co educational school where I worked was the Kano Capital School when it was a primary school with Junior Boys Secondary School. While I was there, I initiated the Junior Girls Secondary Section. I know that I have made my contribution in both the education sector and in the disciplinary aspect.    

How do you think government can handle the issue of thugery in 2011?

With the work Hisbah is doing in the state in respect of law and order, I don’t think we are going to experience such again and even if we do, it will not be like in the past. An NGO has just been established by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Sports, its emphasis is on youths and they are being told not to allow themselves to be used as thugs by politicians. The Youth Directorate has also been established to train and empower youths within the metropolitan and its environs. Some have been trained and employed while others have been given the opportunity to further their education.

Why haven’t most of the rapists in the state been convicted despite their offence?

The Justice Reform Committee in collaboration with the Societal Reorientation has initiated a research which was conducted and the report submitted to the committee. It was deliberated upon and because of that, we had two convictions last year in connection to rape, one of which was life imprisonment. There are about two pending cases which the government hopes to follow to its logical conclusion, to ensure that justice is done.

 What is government doing about the situation of unqualified teachers?

Governor Shekarau has ordered all teachers to go back and gain more education in the Advance Teachers’ College now, Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education and Federal College of Education, for them to get the minimum requirement for teachers. The directive has increased the population of Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education from 5,000 to 17,000. 

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