Angry residents of Kano have come out in droves to protest the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to commission federal government projects in the state.
This is coming a few days after a similar incident occurred in Katsina, the president’s hometown.
The protests might not be unconnected with the current hardship Nigerians are facing due to rising cost and scarcity of petrol as well as the redesignation of naira.
The irate youths, who set bonfires along Maiduguri Road in the capital and chanted ba ma yi (down with you), threw stones at the convoy from afar despite heavy security presence and teargas.
OBSERVERSTIMES report that some sections of all the four major roads leading the newly constructed Muhammadu Buhari Interchange Flyover were closed for two days in anticipation of the president’s visit.
In video clips circulated on social media, other youths were seen throwing pebbles at the president’s helicopter as it took off after commissioning a solar project at Zawaciki.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the commissioned a $15 million (N120billion) 10-megawatts solar project; Family Homes at Darmanawa Royal City; Dala Inland Dry Port and; 41-terabyte National tier-4 Data Center in Kano.
The president arrived at exactly 10:32 a.m., accompanied by some of his cabinet members.
The president was received by the governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Ganduje and the minister of Transportation, Jaji Sambo, and the Managing Director of the Dala Inland Dry Port, Ahmad Rabiu.
Speaking during the commissioning of the solar project, Mr Buhari said it would help revive ailing industries in the state.
At the commissioning of the data center, the minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami said the data centre was the first of its kind in northern Nigeria and the best so far in the country.
“The reliability of data collection of the facility is 99.99% so it is almost a hundred per cent reliable,” he said.