Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on Thursday, met with the leadership of the Igbo community in the state to discuss issues concerning their relationship with the host community.
Speaking during the meeting, Ganduje harped on the need to maintain the peace between Ndigbo and their hosts ahead of the 2019 elections.
According to him, “Kano is great today not because of the traditional public relation alone; Kano is great because of the presence of so many ethnic nationalities that have lived in Kano for centuries.
“So, we cannot play with the issue of peaceful co-existence. Peaceful co-existence is very important; because that is the building block upon which Kano achieve its greatness in commerce, industrialization, education, politics, and any other thing that we think is good for the people of Kano state.
“United States of America is great because people from all over the world settled in the United States of America. They brought different cultures, they brought different customs, they brought different traditions, and they brought different skills, they brought different strategies for national development.
“So, Kano too is great because of other ethic nationalities who decided to be here. So, we appreciate your contribution to the socio-economic development of Kano. This is why we must do all we can to protect everybody resident in Kano state.
“This is also why we abrogated the concept of non-indigeneship. We always describe you as the indigenes of Kano state, with primordial claim elsewhere in Nigeria.”
Ganduje described Kano as one of the most peaceful states in the federation, adding that his administration has succeeded in tackling the menace of kidnapping, cattle rustling as well as herdsmen/farmers’ clashes.
Speaking also, the Eze Ndigbo in Kano, His Royal Highness, Igwe Boniface Ibekwe, said: “His Excellency, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has done so well, not only for Ndigbo, but for other ethnic nationalities in Kano. He is a bridge-builder who does not discriminate in terms of ethnicity and religion.
“We are honored him today because of the good works he has been doing and the effects of infrastructural development we are witness here in Sabon Gari. He belongs to us and the only way we can appreciate him is to give him our full support so that he will continue to touch the lives of our people positively.”
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