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COVID-19: Poor planning, politics mar distribution of N500m Kaduna palliative — NAN Survey

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6 years ago

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Some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), faith based groups and residents of Kaduna State have faulted the shabby manner in which the N500 million food items procured by the state government are being distributed.
They said in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna that the food items were either hijacked by politicians or shared to people not in need of the palliative in most areas.
The state government had announced that the N500 million worth of foodstuffs would be distributed to old and vulnerable people to cushion the effect of the total lockdown in the state over the Coronavirus pandemic.
The government had set up 7-man committees in each of the 255 wards to ensure that the items got to the right beneficiaries.
However, the distribution of the items has faced different challenges, with those meant to benefit from the gesture complaining of being short changed, as many did not receive the palliative.
Mr Sola Ojo, Chairman, Evidence and Knowledge Management Committee, Kaduna Social Protection Accountability Coalition, said the distribution was marred by several challenges as most of the targeted groups were left out.
Ojo, who said he had monitored the distribution in Kaduna North LGA, complained that most of the people listed as beneficiaries were healthy young men and women.
“The cluster committee saddled with responsibility of identifying the vulnerable people in their communities failed woefully, some of the lists were discarded.
“We went to distribute food items to vulnerable groups, but most of the beneficiaries that came out to collect the items did not meet the criteria of a vulnerable poor.”
Mr Yusuf Goje of the Coalition of Association for Leadership, Peace, Empowerment and Development, equally noted that most of the targeted groups did not benefit.
Goje who monitored the exercise in Chikun LGA, expressed concern over alleged diversion of 102 cartons of noodles and 300 gallons of vegetable oil meant for Nasarawa, Trikania and Kudandan cluster.
He noted that most of the committee members did not have the capacity to coordinate the distribution at community level, which manifested in the rowdiness that characterized the exercise.
Goje also said that there was complete absence of sensitisation at community level by the cluster committees, adding that people came out with the assumption that the food was for everybody.
Similarly, Mr Silas Ideva, the Chief Executive Officer, Carelink Resource Foundation, who monitored the exercise in Kaduna North, said that the cluster committees politicised the distribution.
According to him, most of the targeted beneficiaries were left out because of the politics that came into play, a situation he described as “very unfortunate”.
“The development has watered down the efforts of government to provide succor to the vulnerable groups who are the worst affected by the lockdown across the state,” Ideva noted.
On his part, Mr Abdulrahman Mikail, Programme Manager, I Care Women and Youth Initiative, who monitored the distribution in Kaduna South LGA, said that the distribution was characterized by massive crowd.
He blamed the situation on poor planning, lack of involvement of civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders in the planning and implementation of the distribution exercise.
Mikail also said that most of the targeted groups did not get the food items, while people with disabilities were completely schemed out.
Similar complain trailed the palliative distribution in other parts of the state.
The Bishop of First Baptist Church Sabon Gari, Zaria, Rev. Isaac Gbadero, appealed to the state government to adopt more transparent measures in distributing the foodstuffs to vulnerable persons in local government areas yet to be covered.
Gbadero said what was distributed was less than what a household needed for a day’s meal.
“As we speak, it has not even gotten to real households, communities and Local Government Areas,” he said.
The Bishop added that the church has complemented government efforts by distributing similar palliative to vulnerable groups through donations received from wealthy members.
Similarly, Malam Safiyanu Abubakar, a resident of Tudun Wada, Zaria told NAN that the mechanism adopted by the government in the distribution of the food items in the area was not transparent.
Abubakar said the exercise was politicized at the cluster level where the seven-man committee mandated to distribute the items formed sub-committes, thereby sidelining the main beneficiaries.
Some beneficiaries at Kwan Gero, Bambale, Gyallesu and Tukur-Tukur/Magume clusters in Zaria local government, however, expressed appreciation to the state government for the gesture.
According to Ahmed Shuaib, deputy chairman of the distribution committee at Runji in Hanwa Cluster, they got six bags of 50 kg rice and each beneficiary got one measure of rice, while some got two sachets of pasta.
He added that other beneficiaries got one measure of beans while others shared 10kg of garri.
A resident of Hanwa in Zaria, Kabiru Shuaib, said the items given to them were grossly inadequate and not enough to feed for a day.
According to him, the sub-committee members were largely politicians who used the opportunity to favor their party members and neglected people who needed the support most.
NAN recalls that the food items were distributed in Zaria on April 4.
The Chairman Distribution Task Force in Zaria, Alhaji Abdullahi Sani, had at the time said each cluster received 1,000 cartons of noodles, 85 bags of 50kg of Rice and 129 cartons of four litres of vegetable oil.
Other items received were 12 bags of beans, 420 bags of Semovita, 140 cartons of spaghetti and undisclosed number of bags of Garri and sugar.
The Chairman, Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board, Alhaji Abdullahi Sani, who chaired the distribution, had said that the items were for 14 clusters in Zaria.
In Rigasa ward of Igabi LGA, a committee member,  Abdullahi Shehu, claimed that hoodlums attacked and whisked away some of the foodstuffs while being transported to the benefitting clusters.
Shehu said that Rigasa ward received 1,200 bags of 10kg rice,750packs of semovita, 1,200 cartons of noodles, 150 bags of 10kg beans, and more than 300 cartons of spaghetti and galons of oil.
He, however, said “hoodlums attacked the vehicles transporting the food and carted away more than 25 percent of the food items.”
Shehu noted that some of the drivers and security operatives conveying the items were injured during the attack.
“We collected the food from Rigachikun around 10pm and on our arrival in Rigasa, we saw gang of youth barricading the road, ordering vehicles to stop. They carted away some of the items before the police arrived the scene.
“We distributed 75% of the items to the less privileged even though it did not go round the households selected to benefit from the gesture,” Shehu said.
Abubakar Ibrahim, Secretary of the distribution committee in Rigasa said, “we selected 25 mosques in each zone from both the Izala and Darika sects and 25 groups known as majalisa in each of the zones.
“We also gave religious leaders of both Muslim and Christian faith some packs to give to vulnerable members in their circle.
“120 households were identified from poor and vulnerable groups in the three zones and were given the food items.”
On his part, Mr Thomas Gyang, Commissioner, Planning and Budget Commission, said that the food items doled out by government included rice, beans, semovita, spaghetti, noodles, garri and vegetable oil.
Gyang explained that the distribution was done in clusters across the benefiting pilot local government areas of Chikun, Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Igabi, Kaura, Jema’a, Sabon Gari and Zaria.
He said that the cluster committees, made up of party officials, traditional and religion leaders, women and other community members, were responsible for mapping, selection and handing over the food items to the beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, the Secretary to the State Government, Malam Balarabe Abbas-Lawal, who is also the Chairman of the Palliative Committee, acknowledged the challenges being experienced in the distribution.
Abbas-Lawal blamed the development on poor planning by some of the cluster committees.
He, however assured that the committees would make amendments to address the challenges as the distribution continues in other parts of the state.
“We will continue this exercise until all the LGAs are covered and will be making amendments from the experiences learned, going forward,” he said.
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The Academic Staff Union of Universities chapter at Taraba State University has issued a final warning to the Taraba State Government, calling on Governor Agbu Kefas to immediately implement the 2025 Federal Government–ASUU agreement or risk an indefinite strike.

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4 days ago

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July 2, 2026

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In a statement signed by the chapter chairman, Joshua Garba Mbaver, the union accused the state government of repeatedly failing to honour agreements reached with its members, describing the situation as a threat to staff welfare and the future of the institution.

Declaring that lecturers had exhausted their patience, the union stated:

“Enough of empty promises is enough.”

ASUU said its outstanding demands include the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government–ASUU negotiated agreement, payment of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA), Professorial Allowance, Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), and all outstanding arrears owed to academic staff.

According to the union, these issues have been discussed and documented through several engagements with the state government, but no concrete action has been taken.

“Instead of taking concrete action, our union has been met with silence and neglect by the Taraba State Government,” the statement said.

The union argued that the 2025 agreement was designed to improve staff welfare, strengthen university funding, revitalize public universities, and enhance conditions of service.

It described the government’s continued failure to implement the agreement as “unacceptable, provocative and dangerous,” warning that it undermines collective bargaining and demonstrates a lack of commitment to the survival of the university.

ASUU emphasized that it was not seeking preferential treatment but simply demanding the implementation of agreements already reached.

“We are demanding what is due to our members. We demand respect for labour, fairness, and the comprehensive implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement.”

The union further warned that unless the Taraba State Government addresses its demands within the shortest possible time, it will have no option but to embark on an indefinite strike, a move that could significantly disrupt academic activities at Taraba State University.

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Ex- AGF Aondoakaa, SAN condemns killings in Benue

Published

5 days ago

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July 1, 2026

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 Benue State election, Chief Michael Aondoakaa,SAN on Wednesday strongly condemned the current wave of attacks in parts of the state, which have led to the killing of many innocent people and the displacement of thousands of others.

Aondoakaa, in a statement signed by his Media Assistant, James Ian, and made available to Our correspondent in Abuja said one of the unfortunate incidents was the recent killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ardo Risku Muhammed, describing the murder as reprehensible and unacceptable.

He urged security agencies to find the killers of the MACBAN leader.

Similarly, the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice condemned today’s attack on Saai Community in Mbajir Ward of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, which claimed the lives of scores of innocent people and left many others with varying degrees of injuries.

Chief Aondoakaa SAN said he received the tragic news with immense shock and deep sorrow, describing the massacre as another painful reminder of the worsening security situation in Benue State.

He extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, the people of Saai Community, Mbajir Ward and the entire Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, while praying for the speedy recovery of those injured in the attack.

He also condemned similar attacks on Benue communities in Agatu, Guma, Gwer West, Kwande and other parts of the state.

While condemning the barbaric assault in Katsina-Ala, Chief Aondoakaa, SAN insisted that the primary responsibility of every government is the protection of lives and property, as clearly provided under Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He therefore called on the Benue State Government to rise to its constitutional responsibility by taking proactive and practical measures to secure the lives of the people instead of allowing communities to remain vulnerable to terrorists, bandits and armed invaders.

He noted that the Benue State Government has no justification whatsoever for failing the people on security, especially when unprecedented funds have been accruing to it following the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu to enable states to have the necessary support and resources to confront security challenges within their territories.

According to him, it is both unfortunate and unacceptable that despite the enormous resources available to the present government, many Benue communities have continued to suffer relentless attacks with little evidence of a coordinated state response.

He demanded that the Benue State Government explain what it is doing with the huge monthly security votes appropriated for the protection of lives and property when communities are repeatedly attacked, thousands of people are displaced from their ancestral homes, and innocent men, women and children continue to lose their lives.

He maintained that security votes must translate into visible support for security agencies, improved intelligence gathering, rapid emergency response and concrete measures capable of preventing attacks, rather than becoming mere budgetary figures without corresponding results.

He urged security agencies to carry out a thorough investigation, apprehend those responsible and ensure they are prosecuted in accordance with the law, stressing that every life is sacred and that justice must be served irrespective of the identity of the victim.

He further expressed concern over the deplorable condition and abandonment of rural roads across Benue State, warning that the collapse of critical road infrastructure has continued to undermine security operations by delaying the movement of troops and emergency responders to distressed communities.

According to him, accessible rural roads are not merely development projects but strategic security assets that enable security personnel to respond swiftly to distress calls, pursue criminal elements and protect vulnerable populations.

He called on the military, the police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and all other security agencies to intensify ongoing operations, bring the perpetrators of the Katsina-Ala massacre and other violent crimes to justice, and ensure that no part of Benue State remains under the control or threat of criminal elements.

Aondoakaa prayed for the peaceful repose of the souls of those who lost their lives in the attacks, including the MACBAN Chairman, Alhaji Ardo Risku Muhammed, those who were killed in Saai, as well as all other victims of attacks in the state, asking that God grant comfort to their families and healing to the injured.

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RMAFC Chairman Faces Scrutiny Over Alleged Corrupt Enrichment

Published

7 days ago

on

June 29, 2026

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The Coalition of Civil Society Groups on Transparency and Accountability (CCGTA) has accused the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, OFR of corrupt enrichment

The coalition, an umbrella body of Nigerian civil society organisations focused on anti-corruption and good governance, has written to the RMAFC chairman seeking clarification over what it describes as discrepancies between the assets he declared in his 2020 Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) asset declaration and his current traceable wealth.

In a letter dated 29th June 2026 and signed by its Coordinator, Comrade Bashir Kurfi, a copy of which seen by our correspondent, the coalition stated that it was concerned about an “inexplicable gap” between the financial assets, personal properties and other interests declared by Dr. Shehu upon his appointment as Secretary of the Commission in 2020 and his present wealth profile.

According to the letter, “we are first of all genuinely concerned with the inconsistencies observed in the 2020 asset declaration. However, that is not our immediate focus at the moment. What’s paramount at the moment is the sudden unexplained wealth.

“Our action is not vindictive but a standard accountability procedure employed by CCGTA, which gives public individuals the opportunity to respond to allegations before further steps are taken.

“Any further action by us, including the decision to organise public protests, petition anti-corruption agencies, institute legal proceedings or publicly campaign on the matter would depend on the outcome of the clarification sought from the Chairman”

The coalition gave Dr. Shehu three days ultimatum to respond to the issues raised and threatened” “to invoke all legal means within its power to pursue the matter to logical conclusion if their request is not adequately addressed”.

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