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Kwara people must own, benefit from Harmony Holdings — New GMD

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• Says firm committed to workers’ welfare

By Steve Oni, Ilorin

Group Managing Director of the Harmony Holdings Limited Abdullahi AbdulMajeed on Monday said the investment firm is being repositioned to truly benefit and be accountable to the people of Kwara State whose assets form the core of its existence.

“The task in Harmony Holdings is quite herculean but we believe that we can transform that organisation to become an institution of pride to the people and government of Kwara State,” he said on Monday during a courtesy visit to the Office of the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor.

AbdulMajeed lamented that the firm had been riddled with impunity and underhand dealings not consistent with the mandate of its establishment in 2013, adding however that the new management has resolved to not only make the firm profitable but to also open its books to the public for the sake of probity.

“We understand that the public confidence in our organisation has been largely eroded because the last administration ran that place like a shell company. They were not talking to the public. They were not open to transparency and scrutiny, and they did not give the people of the state that sense of belonging that is required of a company that belongs to them. And I want to state that henceforth that has stopped,” AbdulMajeed said.

“We are opening up that organisation to more public scrutiny and transparency, that is why we are beginning to go to the media. And there is no better place to commence than from the office of the image maker of the Governor.”

He said the firm under him has put together a turnaround management team to midwife full repositioning of the company, pledging to achieve operational stability to become core revenue generator for Kwara State.

“Leakages that have been identified across the holdings groups, running down from all the strategic business units (SBU) down to the holdings group in itself are being blocked as I speak to you. One of the core things that we need to do to attain operational stability… Our cost ratio to revenue in all of those organisations (SBUs) is quite unsustainable. In some areas we have cost to revenue of 70% to 100%. In any organisation where operational cost takes as much as even above 50% you can be sure that you cannot turn in a profit. And in our case we have some as high as 70%. That is quite unsustainable and at the moment we are beginning to make efforts to ensure that that is no longer the case.”

AbdulMajeed, meanwhile, has explained why some workers in the agency are being owed salaries since the dissolution of the board of the investment firm, adding however that the issues are being resolved.

He added: “Since the dissolution of the board, there has been a partial severance of that relationship. The SBUs were no longer reporting to the Holdings… and there was therefore no how they could get fund from the SBUs. And that has resulted in the inability of the holdings company to pay salaries till date. Salaries have accumulated to about 7 months and we have spoken with the government. We have appealed for some sorts of bridge fund which will help us attain operational stability before our businesses return to normalcy. And then I can tell you confidently that His Excellency is already looking into that situation and we have assurances that things will soon look good for all the workers.”

Ajakaye, for his part, assured the firm of the support of the state’s information managers to project its activities and repositioning efforts.

“We recognise the fact that your success is our success because this is all about the interest of the people of Kwara State which His Excellency has been working to protect, especially with regards to ensuring that public assets truly work for the interest of the Kwara public,” he said.

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Hon. Hafiz Kawu Calls for Unity, Highlights Tinubu and Governor Yusuf’s Achievements in Kano

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Hon. Hafiz Kawu, Honourable Commissioner at PENCOM, has urged APC supporters and faithfuls in Kano State to rally behind the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf. Speaking live during a radio program in Kano, Hon. Kawu OON, MNI delivered a compelling message of reconciliation and renewed commitment to the ruling party’s vision for development.

In his remarks, Hon. Kawu emphasized the importance of President Tinubu’s administration to Kano’s progress, pointing to several landmark projects that have reshaped the state’s infrastructure and economic outlook. He cited the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Expressway reconstruction and the dualization of the Kano–Kongolom Road as evidence of federal commitment to easing transportation and boosting trade. He also highlighted the modernization of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport and the approval of the Kano Light Rail project as transformative investments in transportation.

Hon. Kawu further pointed to the AKK Gas Pipeline as a strategic investment that will power industries, create jobs, and strengthen Kano’s role as a commercial hub. He noted that the appointments of Kano indigenes into key federal positions demonstrate the President’s recognition of Kano’s strategic importance in national politics.

Turning to state-level initiatives, Hon. Kawu praised Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s urban renewal and rural connectivity projects, including the construction of the Dan Agundi Interchange, the Tal’udu Cloverleaf Overpass, and the revival of 5KM roads across 44 local governments. He described these projects as complementary to federal efforts, ensuring that both urban and rural communities benefit from development.

Addressing internal party divisions, Hon. Kawu noted: “This is the time to set aside differences and return to the fold. The projects we see today are only the beginning of greater things to come under APC leadership. Unity is the key to victory, and victory is the key to sustaining development.”

His live radio broadcast blended detailed references to federal achievements under President Tinubu with state-level initiatives under Governor Yusuf, leaving listeners with a clear message: Kano’s future is tied to APC’s success, and every supporter has a role to play in securing that future.

As the broadcast concluded, Hon. Kawu emphasized that cohesion across the APC structure remains the decisive factor in the political contest ahead. He stressed that only a united APC — working seamlessly from the grassroots to the national stage — can secure victories across all levels of governance and sustain the momentum of development. His words positioned unity not as a plea, but as a strategic imperative for the party’s continued dominance and for the progress of Kano and Nigeria at large.

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Nigeria Is Not a Muslim Country — Rev Dachomo Counters Sheikh Jingir

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The Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, has rejected comments by Islamic cleric, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, that Nigeria is a Muslim country.

Jingir had reportedly made the remarks during a programme in Kano State over the weekend while expressing support for the continuation of a Muslim-Muslim political arrangement.

The cleric argued that Muslims constitute the majority in Nigeria and should therefore have the opportunity to lead the country. He also reportedly referred to Christians as infidels and suggested that Christians who were unhappy with the arrangement could leave the country.

Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, Dachomo strongly opposed the comments, insisting that Nigeria is a multi-religious nation and “is not and can never be a Muslim country.”

The COCIN chairman cautioned Jingir and other religious leaders against making statements capable of deepening religious divisions or creating hostility between Christians and Muslims.

Dachomo argued that political leadership should not be determined by religious numerical strength but by competence, justice, good governance and the ability to protect the lives and property of all Nigerians.

“Nigeria is a multi-religious country in which Muslims and Christians have historically participated in the political process and contributed to the development of the nation,” he said.

He urged religious leaders to exercise caution when commenting on political matters, particularly issues capable of affecting relations between religious communities.

According to him, linking political leadership to religious majority could create the impression that one faith has greater ownership of Nigeria than another.

“I urge religious leaders to be mindful of their public statements, particularly when discussing politics and issues capable of affecting relations between different religious communities,” Dachomo added.

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Muslim-Muslim ticket: No regret over my statement – Sheikh Jingir

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Islamic cleric and leader of the Izala Scholars Council, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, has stood his ground over his Muslim-Muslim ticket comments and description of Christians as “infidels.”

Speaking in an interview with the BBC, Jingir said he had no regrets over his recent declaration of support for a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, despite the criticism trailing the statement.

He said his position was not politically motivated or intended to campaign for President Bola Tinubu, but was based on what he described as his responsibility as a Muslim.

According to the Islamic cleric, he would continue to support and encourage Muslims to back a Muslim-Muslim ticket, regardless of the criticism his position might attract.

“I have no regrets. I will continue to support and encourage the Muslim-Muslim ticket. What they say will not stop me. They started it; at a point, we suffered in their hands,” he alleged.

DAILY POST recalls that Jingir, during a mass wedding organised by the Kano State Government for 1,500 couples, declared his support for the Muslim-Muslim arrangement and urged Muslims to vote in a manner that would demonstrate their numerical strength in the country.

He further stated that, as a Muslim preacher, he had the right to advocate a political arrangement that was consistent with his religious convictions.

The cleric also challenged claims that Christians or other religious groups constituted a larger proportion of Nigeria’s population than Muslims.

His remarks have continued to generate reactions, with some commentators describing them as divisive, while others have defended his right to express his religious and political views.

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