Last year, the social media was awash with pictures of Governor of Abba Yusuf of Kano State, Northwestern Nigeria, sharing wheelbarrows and shovels to the people of his state.
The governor was roundly criticized for leaving his office to receive the supply of wheelbarrows and shovels which were all painted in red in conformity with their red cap political color.
Some people on social media especially X formerly Twitter said the wheelbarrows are for empowerment of the citizens — helping people to carry their ‘Kaya’ from the point of purchase to their preferred destination for a token.
The governor immediately denied that the wheelbarrows were not for empowerment but rather the tools are meant for the 2024 drainage clearance exercise.
He said the wheelbarrows will be distributed to community development associations across the state.
“Obviously not empowerment materials, but tools we recently distributed to community development associations in Kano for the 2024 Kano Drainage Clearance Exercise,” the governor said in a statement.
Good intention, but wrong office, I am already jumping the cart.
This week, our Red-capped governor has come again by distributing goats to the people of Kano as an empowerment of sort.
He distributed 7,158 red goats to 2,386 women in the state which mathematically means 3 goats per person.
This was disclosed in a statement by Sanusi Dawakin-Tofa, spokesperson to the governor.
He said the distribution marked the launch of the second phase of the women empowerment initiative under the Livestock Fattening Programme of the Kano Agro-Pastoral Development Project.
Dawakin-Tofa said the initiative, valued at N2.3 billion, aims to reduce poverty and promote economic self-sufficiency.
Now let’s go the financial mathematics of this goat empowerment; 7,158 goats were shared at a value of 2.3 billion, which means each goat is worth N321,318.8 and each person receives 3 goats.
That means the governor empowered each beneficiary in the state with N963,956.4 worth of 3-goats.
Were the goats breeded in Cyprus or Australia and transported via air to have cost almost a million naira for 3 goats?
It’s clear that the governor didn’t think well of this policy before carrying it out. Such type of empowerment are supposed to be the work of the Local Government chairmen but the governors have stifled their necks and are only existing to pay salaries.
If the governor shared a million naira to each of the 2,386 women, that’s N2.3 billion which would’ve been chanelled into something much better, now a goat is being valued at N300,000 in Kano.
Only few would rear the goats, some would even sell it instantly while some would go home and slaughter it immediately, someone is hungry, you carry goat go give am to rear, no worry e go dey look the goat for face nah.
To borrow the street lingual, make the governor dey play.
Bagbansoro Uthman Olamilekan
Twitter: @TheBagbansoro
Mail: Bagbansorouthman@gmail.com
