Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano
The Kwankwasiyya Movement has questioned the reported plan by the Kano State Government to compel the 44 local government councils in the state to take a combined loan of about N55 billion from a commercial bank.
In a statement issued last Saturday and signed by its spokesperson, Dr. Habibu Mohammed, the movement said each council may be required to assume a debt of about N1.3 billion to fund Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres, an unspecified project and an empowerment programme.
According to the movement, the proposed breakdown includes about N632.57 million per council for CBT centres; N500 million for an undisclosed project, and N117.41 million for empowerment.
While supporting educational infrastructure and empowerment, the group said such projects must be pursued transparently and lawfully, and asked why councils should borrow for projects reportedly to be controlled by the state.
The movement queried the timing of the loan ahead of the electoral cycle, and asked the government to disclose its revenue position and why existing allocations cannot fund the projects. It said that, though it was not alleging the loan was meant for election financing, safeguards must be in place to prevent diversion to partisan activities.
It also demanded full details of the projects, including locations of the CBT centres, feasibility studies, the nature of the N500 million project, and the selection criteria for empowerment beneficiaries.
The statement further demanded an account of the previous joint empowerment programme, particularly the monthly women empowerment initiative, asking how much each council contributed, the total amount received by the state, the amount disbursed, administrative costs and remaining balance, and why the programme lasted less than ten months.
The Movement called on the Kano State House of Assembly to clarify whether it approved the loan, and to publish relevant resolutions, insisting that repayment terms and legal basis must be scrutinised in line with the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment on local government autonomy.
It also urged the commercial bank linked to the facility to conduct thorough due diligence on the legality, repayment capacity and purpose of the loan, warning that public sector lending carries legal and reputational responsibilities.
The group noted that while a change of government does not nullify a valid loan, a future administration has the right to review inherited financial commitments where illegality is found.
It urged the state government, local government chairmen, the Assembly, and the bank to ensure that public borrowing serves public interest and not political convenience.