The wife of the member representing Bauchi Federal Constituency of Bauchi State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aliyu Garu, Hajiya Fatima Aminu Aliyu Garu, is in the news for allegedly distributing bunches of sugar canes to some youths as part of her empowerment programme.
According to an X user with the handle @Abdoulrahmarn, the empowerment programme was done last week with the honourable’s wife dolling out the sugar canes to the youths with the aim of setting them up in business.
“Wife of Honorable Member Representing Bauchi state Federal Constituency Hajiya Fatima Aminu Aliyu Garu Doing an empowerment program to some youths last week,” @Abdoulrahmarn posted.
However, this is not the first time people in authority and elected officials will come up with such ridiculous means of empowering their constituents.
There have have been situations where donkeys, wheelbarrows, shoe-shining kits, cassava stems, hoes, brooms, water sachets, also known as pure water and clay pots are given out in the name of empowerment.
A few years ago, an aide to former Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom distributed wheelbarrows with the inscription, “Gov Ortom for You” to youths in the state.
In Taraba State, a member of the House of Representatives, Maigari Bello-Kasimu, representing Jalingo/Yorro/Zing federal constituency, also distributed wheelbarrows to empower some members of his constituency.
While justifying the empowerment programme, Bello-Kasimu told journalists in an interview:
“All of them used to hire wheelbarrows and push to earn their living, but now they have the opportunity of owning their wheelbarrows.”
A former caretaker chairperson of Nsukka Local Government Area in Enugu State, Chinwe Ugwu, also went the wheelbarrow route when he carried out what he called economic empowerment for youths in his council.
“These are poor people who cannot afford to buy wheelbarrows but had to hire for between N200 and N300 per day,” Ugwu had said when some critics questioned the rationale for the wheelbarrows.
Current Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, as Kano State Governor, once boasted about how he spent N208 million to empower ‘Mai Shayi’ or tea sellers in the state by giving them items like cartons of noodles, crates of eggs, spaghetti, bread, cocoa beverages, liquid and powdered milk, brown and white sugar, nylon and cups.
Last year, the senator representing Kano Central Senatorial District, Rufai Hanga distributed 5,000 white pieces of cloth and clay pots to the people of his constituency as burial materials for their loved ones while Ginger Onwusibe, the member representing Isialangwa North and South constituency in Abia State at the National Assembly distributed cassava stems, yam and other seedlings to his constituents to celebrate his first anniversary in office.
Wife of Honorable Member Representing Bauchi state Federal Constituency Hajiya Fatima Aminu Aliyu Garu Doing an empowerment program to some youths last week 😭 pic.twitter.com/UwTgFpKwFK
— .ashraf (@Abdoulrahmarn) September 11, 2024
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