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Ftom Desmond Mgboh, Kano
The Kano State government has criticised the skewed nature of the allocation of the N500 billion support fund for small-scale industries across the country.
The Deputy Governor of the state, Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, who disclosed this during a meeting with the Coperative Society of Nigeria, regretted that the allocation by the Federal Government was heavily skewed against the state and the Northwest region.
The Deputy Governor, who spoke on behalf of the Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, lamented that while Lagos State was allocated 47% of the support fund, followed by the states in the South-South Zone with 17%, the rest of the regions and states got significantly lower percentages of the allocation.
He described the allocation, which is accessed through the Bank of Industry. as unfair, unconstitutional, and illegal.
He urged the relevant authorities, including Senators and members of the House of Representatives to take appropriate actions to rectify the lopsided allocation as well as punish those responsible for the uneven allocation.
He pledged a commitment to cooperative societies in their efforts to combat poverty and regain their influence in the society, emphasising the importance of cooperative societies as vehicle of development.
Musa Hassan Aikawa, President of the Kano Cooperative Society, spoke on behalf of the delegation and highlighted the fact that Kano State has over 2.8 million cooperative members, primarily consisting of young people.
Aikawa requested intervention from the state government to develop strategies for reducing poverty.
The meeting was attended by several dignitaries, including government officials and representatives from educational institutions related to cooperative activities in Kano State.
