Why Kannywood members support Governor Ganduje – Nura Hussaini

Nura Hussaini (Yasayyadi), is a pioneer member of the Kannywood film industry. Highly religious, well exposed and a no-nonsense producer, actor and a family man, Hussaini, in this interview with ALIYU ASKIRA in Kano, says because Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has done a lot to members of the industry, more than any governor in the history of Kano state, members are solidly behind him in all his political ambitions.

Could you then tell us a little about the current state of Kannywood, especially some of the challenges militating against its progress?
As far as I am concerned, Kannywood is a decent industry that one can make career out of, like any other profession: journalism, government work, law, business, modeling, teaching and what have you. In my own opinion, what some people outside Kannywood do is worse than what they are accusing us of. For example, if you marry a lady that is used to money, freedom or you lied to her, when she goes into your house and discovers that you lied to her, of course there would be crises. So this scenario is not exclusively common with Kannywood ladies, it can be found in other professions and societies.

There is political crisis between Governor Ganduje and Senator Kwankwaso. Some people are reportedly saying this may deny the governor the opportunity to secure second term. What is your take on this?
Let me tell you this even though you are aware because you have been in Kano for a very long time and you know both Ganduje and Kwankwaso very well, political crisis or not, only God will stop Ganduje from getting second term as Governor of Kano State, we in Kannywood benefitted from this administration more than any administration ever, one the day Ganduje was to have his first meal as Governor of Kano State he invited us and we were part of that dinner, Ganduje appointed Ismail Na Abba Afakallahu as Executive Director Kano State Films and
Censorship Board, he appointed Rashida Adamu as Special Adviser on women affairs, Asma’u Sani was appointed Special Adviser on Budget, when the controversial Kano Film Village was launched in Kano, Ganduje personally attended the occasion and has made it clear that members of Kannywood are part of his government, since then, other members of the industry have been benefitting from this Government, the member the Shekarau Government dealt with our members some went to jail, some left Kano and some have lost financially and they are yet to recover so Ganduje is part of Kannywood and Kannywood is part of Ganduje.

But a senior member of your group, Nazifi Asnanic and other artists in the industry like late Ibro contributed a lot for Kwankwaso to win election in 2011, Nazifi composed the famous song “Kwankwaso Dawo Dawo” while Ibro campaigned for Kwankwaso in all the 44 Local Governments, are you saying you people are regretting doing that?
If there is a word more than regret then that is what we are facing, there was a time some Hausa Artist were called to Lagos to compose a Song for APC and Ibro went with a red cap, he was asked in Lagos to remove the red cap because the song was for APC not for Kwankwaso, Ibro insisted to return their money instead of removing the red cap, Ibro produced many films before 2011 castigating Shekarau’s government and praising Kwankwaso also advising people to vote for Kwankwaso, he followed Kwankwaso to all the 44 Local Governments, but when Ibro died, and Kannywood also lost other prominent members, Kwankwaso is yet to sympathize with us or visit Ibro’s family, the truth is Kwankwaso has this character of not visiting people when they lost their dear ones, during wedding ceremonies or other festivities, while Ganduje on the other hand use to pay visits to Ulamas, opinion leaders, the ordinary masses in fact, if not because Kano people like Ganduje the new tax regime he introduced in Kano people will not pay and will revolt, go to Katin kwari and see blocks of building, Ganduje is erecting for traders, go and see the underpass project in Kabuga, the 14 billion dollars independent power projects, the 20km Rurum road, and several other projects.

But comparatively speaking, Kwankwaso also did a lot of projects in Kano. What are driving at?
If Ganduje is not a statesman, by now Kwankwaso will not have continued to be in the Senate. In fact, Kano Central is regretting not voting for Senator Lado to return to Abuja for second term, Senator Kwankwaso has done nothing for Kano Central, go to Gyadi-gyadi and see the flyover bridge Lado used his influence to construct for Kano people, the dangerous Gadan Tamburawa Senator Lado used FERMA to construct that bridge, Lado empowered many young men and women, some got money, some got vehicles, some got houses, some got scholarships, and many other things, Kwankwaso has done nothing since his 2 years election in the Senate.

What he is busy doing is to run down Ganduje’s government, Ganduje was loyal to him when he was governor today, he refused to be loyal to Ganduje when the Governor is the leader of APC in Kano, Ganduje is more educated than Kwankwaso because he has academic Ph.D Kwankwaso has Masters degree, Ganduje is richer, older, more experienced, more tolerance and always obedient to the constituted authority, very loyal to President Buhari and when Buhari was on medical vacation he sponsored Ulamas to pray for the President to recover quickly so I don’t see how Kwankwaso will return to the Senate and how Ganduje will not get second term.

But people are still praising Kwankwaso for the role he played during the Ile-Ife crisis in Osun State. What is your opinion about that?
Yes but we did not elected him senator to go to Osun State and mediate in Crisis, which he did clearly because he want to be President in 2019, why hasn’t he be speaking on the floor of the Senate on the ongoing crisis between the Red Chamber and the Presidency, why is he not sponsoring bills that will benefit Kano people, let me tell you in black and white, Ganduje’s Government inherited billions of Naira as liability from Kwankwaso’s government, he inherited several abandoned project like the 5km express roads for all the 44 Local Governments, the 14 Billion dollars independent power project, the Kabuga underpass, the triumph, dan kura, Nassarawa flyover, and several housing projects which Kwankwaso left behind for Ganduje to complete even though he left empty treasury. Yet Ganduje said he will not probe Kwankwaso, Kwankwaso’s foreign scholarship, school feeding, free education progamme all have questionable answers yet Gaduje decided to continue with them, so this two personalities are poles apart, recently adviser to Ganduje on religious affairs Ali Baba Fagge who also served Kwankwaso in the same capacity was quoted as saying, one day after inspecting some projects, they went to Kwankwaso’s office together with the Governor and he and Ganduje sprayed their mat in the Governor’s office to pray. Kwankwaso chase them away and said this is not a place for prayer, as a muslim, what do get from that. It is either the man is not religiously committed or just decides to ridicule people that want to pray even though he did not observe his prayer.

Rahama Sadau was expelled from Kannywood under Afakallahu’s watch. Are you saying that majority of your members will still support Ganduje in 2019?
Before I answer that, I want to tell you that even Ganduje’s projects are cheaper and qualitative, you will never hear Ganduje speaking like a thug, he has done a lot to unite Kano State even with the daily insults he is receiving from Kwankwaso’s supporters he has never replied them, on Rahama Sadau she was expelled by MOPPAN and not Kano State Films and Censorship Board as for Sadiq Zazzabi, he took his music video to Kano State Films and Censorship Board for approval, before they give him clearance, he released the song, so what do you expect Afakallahu is doing his job and want to protect his office, in any case, the matter is now in Court. I will not talk much on that but go and conduct Censors among our members.

Majority of them will tell you they will support Ganduje in 2019. I cannot speak for them so go and talk to them, the issue is if a governor did not get a second term is like a person who finished university, finished NYSC and died before securing job so you will see that he did not benefit himself, he did not benefit his family and he died. Ganduje need second term to finish all the promises he made to Kano people and we will support him. After this interview, go and see the 300 bed children hospital started by Shekarau, he is finishing it, go and see First Lady’s College and many other projects you will be convinced that this man deserve second term.

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