The Kwankwasiyya Movement has condemned the decision of the Kano State Government to dissolve the Ministry of Higher Education and merge it with the Ministry of Education, describing the action as politically motivated and detrimental to governance in the state.
In a statement on Monday, the movement’s spokesperson, Dr. Habibu Sale Mohammed, said the official justification of administrative restructuring does not reflect the true motivations behind the decision.
“The dissolution of the Ministry of Higher Education under the pretext of administrative restructuring raises serious concerns about the government’s priorities and commitment to responsible governance,” he said.
Dr. Mohammed suggested that the move is linked to political tensions surrounding the state’s deputy governor, **His Excellency Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo**, who had been overseeing the ministry.
“It is difficult to ignore the growing perception that this action is aimed at punishing the deputy governor for refusing to abandon the Kwankwasiyya Movement and the aspirations of the supporters who brought this administration to power,” he added.
He further accused the government of gradually weakening the ministry over the past year through administrative directives that redirected several agencies and functions to report directly to the governor.
“For more than a year, agencies and sub-units that ordinarily fall under the Ministry of Higher Education were instructed to report elsewhere, while key responsibilities were reassigned to advisers and special committees,” Mohammed said.
He also argued that the complete dissolution of the ministry confirms fears that governance in Kano is increasingly shaped by political calculations rather than public interest.
“If there were concerns about who should supervise the ministry, the governor could simply have reassigned that responsibility and appointed another commissioner. Scrapping a strategic ministry is not the solution,” he said.
The movement expressed concern that the decision comes at a time when several key commissioner positions in the state government remain unfilled.
“A government that leaves critical portfolios vacant while dismantling an important ministry cannot convincingly argue that it is prioritising development,” Mohammed said.
He stressed that higher education remains central to Kano’s development, urging reforms to be guided by policy objectives rather than politics.
“Universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and scholarship programmes require coordinated leadership and long-term planning. Decisions affecting them must be guided by vision and consultation,” he said.
The Kwankwasiyya Movement called on the state government to reconsider actions that may appear vindictive, insisting that Kano deserves leadership that places the long-term interests of the people above temporary political manoeuvres.
“Kano deserves leadership that places the long-term interests of the people above temporary political manoeuvres,” Mohammed added.
