Rabiu Kwankwanso, the presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) said he had sold some of his properties and offered scholarships to students from Kano and Nigeria to pursue higher degrees.
Kwankwanso disclosed this at a colloquium organised in his honour by the Kwankwasiyya movement in collaboration with scholars assembly and other Kwankwasiyya organisations in Abuja on Monday.
He said even after leaving office as governor, he looked at some things (properties) he did not need and sold them just to give deserving students scholarships, some of whom have graduated with master’s and doctorates degrees from Nigerians and foreign universities.
The former Kano state governor said: “The scholarship beneficiaries, especially the three thousand of them who benefited in four years, I am so happy and very proud of all of you. Many of them wanted to come.
“I am happy to say that in the 1999 election in Kano, we had no governor, no minister, no serving or former member. We had just these young men and women and we were able to win our election for the governorship.
Read also: 2023: Atiku meets US officials, seeks support on economy, others
“And that was why I was encouraged to create the scholarship scheme for our young men and women. When we advertise in 2019, believing that there are few people who are first class, we exhausted them in Kano. Second class upper we exhausted them. We were on two to second class lower levels when I left government in 2015 and that is one.
“We had over 3,000 of them going to 14 countries across the world. I am also happy that we sponsored students in Nigeria private universities in Nigeria. Over 3000 were sent abroad, they are in different sets, all sponsored by the Kwankwasiyya foundation.”
Kwankwaso said he felt the best investment for any politician is education, stressing that Nigeria can only grow if the country has educated people.
“When I was governor, we were able to feed our children in primary schools, return them to school. Today, they have an association of those who collected our uniforms in primary schools.
“They are in millions, I thank all my brothers and sisters, my friends across the countrymen who supported the foundation,” he said.
Yusuf Kofarmata, the President, Kwankwasiyya scholars and development, acknowledged the NNPP presidential candidate’s efforts to improve the lives of the downtrodden which are making incomparable contributions that will live on in history and immortalise him in the country.
He said: “You have already set yourself apart from the selfish, demagogic politicians, thanks to each contribution. We hope that in a few months, Nigeria will be porous and peaceful under your leadership as the most admired political figure in Kano, the North and Nigeria as a whole.
“So, we gathered here to joyfully honour you, and to express our gratitude for being a tireless emancipator of the masses.”
Meanwhile, Kwankwaso, the NNPP presidential candidate will unveil his blueprint for the 2023 general election on Tuesday (today) at A-Class Park and Event centre.
Other frontline presidential candidates including Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress and Peter Obi of the Labour Party had already unveiled their action plans – blueprints.
