The Governor of Kano State, northwest Nigeria, Abba Yusuf, has demolished the symbolic roundabout at the Kano State government house.

Development Diaries reports that the roundabout, which was renovated by the administration of Abdullahi Ganduje, was brought down in the early hours of Wednesday, 14 June.

The Yusuf-led administration, in just his first week in office, began the demolition of some structures built by the Ganduje administration, describing them as illegal.

The roundabout, which is known as the Kano Golden Jubilee Monument, was erected in 2017 to commemorate Kano’s attainment of 50 years as a state.

According to the state government, the construction was substandard and it could collapse between 2023 and 2024.

The government also stated that the structure was pulled down in the best interest of the public.

Pulling down a roundabout to erect another appears to be a misplaced priority and a waste and misuse of taxpayers’ money.

Governor Yusuf, during his election campaigns, promised that if elected in 2023, his administration would prioritise education and health care.

The governor, in March 2023, vowed to revive the Kwankwasiyya free education scheme when he assumes office.

Kano is one of the states with a growing number of out-of-school children in Africa’s most populous country.

In fact, in its 2018 basic education report, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) noted that Kano State had the most out-of-school children in Nigeria, with 989,234 not in school at the time.

In a statement released by his spokesperson, Sanusi Dawakin-Tofa, the governor-elect at the time emphasised the urgent need to address the fundamental responsibilities of government such as the provision of potable water, basic education, and quality health care.

However, it seems Governor Yusuf is more interested in the demolition of structures at this time.

Development Diaries calls on the governor to set aside any political rivalry there is with the former governor and begin to implement policies that would ultimately benefit the people of Kano State.

One of the actions we expect the governor to take is the signing of the Kano State Child Protection Bill into law.

The bill, which was recently passed by the Kano State House of Assembly, seeks to protect children against all forms of molestation and ensure that they enjoy free and compulsory basic education.

It is understood that the law sets aside stiffer sanctions for perpetrators of rape and other criminal activities aimed at oppressing underage children.