BY GODWIN OBI
Kanwan Katsina 111 and district head of Ketare in Kankara Local government area of Katsina state, Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara ‘mni’ has appealed very passionately to the inhabitants of Ketare district and its environs to ensure proper personal and environmental hygiene at all times with a view to protecting themselves from the possible outbreak of Cholera and other communicable diseases .
The selfless Kanwan Katsina 111 district head of Ketare made the call recently during a meeting with village heads in his palace in Ketare.
In his address, Alhaji Bello Kankara directed all the Village Heads, Imams and Communities’ leaders to intensify public enlightenment campaigns to ensure proper personal and environmental hygiene in their respective communities.
The District Head emphasised on the need for the communities to eschew open defecation, but use clean toilets at all times, and make sure they wash their hands before eating and after using the toilets.
Alhaji Usman Bello Kankara also implored all and sundry in the area to make it a habit to always boil their water before drinking, cook their food well, wash fruits before eating and cover their food at all times to avoid flies.
The Kanwan Katsina 111 also enjoined the communities to report any suspected case of outbreak to the nearest health care center for prompt action.
He explained that Symptoms of the disease include vomiting, nausea, and abdominal discomfort.
Bello who is a retired comptroller from the Nigeria Customs Service also advised nursing mothers to always present their children for routine immunization at all times as conducted by health officials in every community of the district.
The traditional ruler also used the occasion to call on families to allow their female children aged from fifteen to forty nine to be immunized against maternal neonatal tetanus elimination campaign scheduled to take place between 9th to 13th of this month in some selected local government of the state, which Kankara is included.
The ex-customs comptroller needs little or no introduction to the public space, due to the avalanche of hallmark achievements he recorded while serving the Nigeria Customs Service. was born on the 1st September 1957 from the royal family of Kanwan Katsina ll, Alhaji Late Bello Abdullahi Nadabo.
UK Bello, as he is fondly called, attended the Central Primary School Kankara and Government Secondary School Malumfashi as well as College of Arts and Science Zaria for his ‘A’ levels. He bagged bachelor of science degree in Political Science in 1981 from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. Shortly after graduating with flying colors, Bello went to the then Bendel State for National Youths Service.
Kankara started his sojourn to public service in 1982 when he joined Nigerian Customs Service as Assistant Superintendent of Customs posted to Borno State ( Maiduguri) after his training at the Customs Training College lkeja Lagos. His eventful and accomplished career started rising like a rocket in the sky from Deputy Superintendent of Customs in 1985 to the prestigiously acclaimed rank of Comptroller of Customs in 2009. He served in various Commands, Units and Departments which in no mean order added outstanding value to his career.
How UK Bello projected the good image and safe guard the reputation of Nigeria Customs Service after he got appointed as Customs Public Relation Officer and it’s spokesman in Tin Can Island Ports and Apapa port in Lagos has continued to be an issue of constant reference till date. His meritorious services and feats achieved through hard work earned him ‘award of excellence as the best PRO in the Nigerian customs services by then Comptroller General of Customs, A.A Mustapha (Ahmed Aliyu Mustapha) in 1999.
Besides, Alhaji UK Bello headed many states commands to include Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and the FCT. He also headed the eastern marine command Port Harcourt which covers Rivers, Bayelsa, Edo, Delta, Cross Rivers and Akwa Ibom States where he successfully retired in 2017 after 35 years of meritorious service to the nation.
He attended capacity building courses both locally and internationally in USA, Belgium, India, Dubai and amongst other places. He bagged the prestigious award of Membership of the National Institute ( mni) in Jos when he attended a one year course at National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies ( NIPPS), Kuru, Jos. The vacuum created in the Nigeria Customs Service following UK Bello’s retirement in 2017 is yet to be filled
No doubt, a great leader is motivated not by power but by compassion. Therefore he can do nothing but make himself a servant to those whom he rules. Such a leader is unequivocally respected, and loved for loving. Perhaps, this was the contributing factor that compelled the late emir of Katsina Alh. Dr. Muhammadu Kabir Usman CFR, to turban Alhaji Bello, the Kanwa of Katsina lll in the year 2000 following the demise of his late father Kanwa ll Alh. Bello Abdullahi Nadabo Kankara.
The District Head of Ketare Alh. Usman Bello Kankara has performed meritoriously well and has demonstrated love, compassion and care to his subjects. From 2017 to date, his extra ordinary achievements in education, healthcare, environment, Youths empowerment for his people are quite unprecedented and indelible. Thanks to this rare gem for being instrumental in the establishment of Community Day Schools at Ketare, Kuka Sheka, Pauwa, Tudu, Ganzamawa Gundawa, Tsamiyar Jino and Katoge to mention but a few.
His passion for digitization led to the sponsorship of over 300 youths from Ketare District to acquire computer training.
In healthcare alone, he invested his resources, time and energy towards the success of Polio immunization, Malnutrition Foods Programme for Pregnant mothers and children for the overall benefits of People of Ketare District.
The essence of leadership is to establish connections with partners in progress. Kanwan Katsina lll used his decades long connections with states and federal agencies to provide effective community services to his people. Recently, he collaborated with the National Identity Management Commission-NIMC to ensure NIN registration of all eligible persons in Ketare domain. This feat alone made it easy for communities in Ketare district to successfully register their NIN numbers without following unnecessary queues at NIN registration centers provided by Federal Government.
Courtesy of his steadfastness, all eligible voters in his district were duly registered with INEC and obtained their permanent voter’s cards which contributed alot in the massive turn out of voters in Ketare district.
Renowned agencies, departments and Non Governmental Organisations such as WACOT, Cassava Growers Association, CBN, CSDP, RUWASSA amongst others have since committed resources and infrastructures in Ketare courtesy of Alhaji UK Bello’s efforts. These are just few out of numerous services he has been rendering to his people.
Ketare District is now wearing a new look with many interventions from State Education Trust Fund ( ETF), Gidauniyar Jahar Katsina, NYSC, RUWASSA, SDGs and many more.
Indeed, the UK Bello’s administration is premised on a high sense of responsibility and commitment to service. He is no doubt a high flier. The monarch has risen to become a movement of a kind and a beacon of hope for the good people of Ketare district. He is currently blazing the trail in community administration like no other to the admiration of all and sundry.
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