Zamfara Councillor Distributes Charcoal, Charcoal Irons To Constituents As ‘Empowerment Gifts’
Abubakar Muhammad Tahir, the councillor representing Mayana Ward in Gusau, Zamfara State, has provided bags of charcoal and charcoal pressing irons to residents of the ward.
SaharaReporters gathered that the items were distributed to constituents to support small-scale economic activities within the community.
The initiative, according to information published by Nasarawa Daily News, was aimed at enabling beneficiaries to engage in petty trading and other ventures that require charcoal and charcoal irons.
SaharaReporters learned that the items were meant for residents of Mayana Ward in Gusau as part of his outreach to constituents.
Nigerian politicians often mock the public by handing out “empowerment” gifts that serve more as spectacle than genuine support.
For instance, in May 2024, the senator representing Kano Central Senatorial District, Rufai Hanga, shared 5,000 white pieces of cloth and clay pots to the people of his constituency as burial materials for their loved ones.
His constituency has 15 local government areas.
An aide to the Senator, Dawuud Auwal, shared a link to a report about the project on his Facebook page.
He praised the Senator for his foresight, writing, “Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah A Newspaper Named Newsveo Revealed The Good Things That Senator Rufai Hanga Has Brought To His Region In 2024, After I See You On My Facebook Page I See The Contentment Of What They Did And The Truth Of The Conversation Is Why They Did It.”
In March 2024, a member of the House of Representatives representing Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency, Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, distributed cooking stoves and other items to constituents in Abia State as part of an empowerment programme.
On April 29, 2022, SaharaReporters reported that Senator Aliyu Wamakko had donated wrappers and cash to indigent women in Sokoto.
Wamakko, a former governor of the state, represents Sokoto North senatorial district.
The donation was described as part of his perennial gestures to the beneficiaries to cushion the effects of poverty as they celebrated the Eid-el-Fitr.
Bashar Abubakar, the New Media Aide to Wamakko, said in a statement that the former governor personally distributed the Sallah packages to the beneficiaries.
Abubakar said the beneficiaries included young girls, ladies and old women.
According to Abubakar, the beneficiaries were each given a set of wrappers and cash to sew the fabrics.
SaharaReporters in February 2022 also reported how a councillor in Sokoto donated two plastic mats to Sadada community in the Kebbe Local Government Area of the state.
The councillor also took pictures with the beneficiaries while making the donations.
In 2020, Hon. Abdullahi Mamudu, who represented Rijau/Magama Federal Constituency of Niger State in the House of Representatives, distributed wheelbarrows to youths in the constituency as part of an employment programme, according to media reports.
In 2018, Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa, representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency of Kano State, distributed cutlasses and hoes to constituents under a youth empowerment initiative, which was covered by local media outlets.
Also, in 2021, a local government chairman in Ilesa East Local Government Area of Osun State reportedly presented hairdryers and sewing machines to selected beneficiaries during an empowerment programme, with media reports noting the items were intended to support small-scale businesses.
Such ridiculous donations made by politicians are not new in Nigeria.
The list of items that have been distributed by public office holders to their people includes tricycles, motorcycles, grinding machines, water sachets and shoe-shining starter kits.
SaharaReporters had reported how donkeys were given out in Kano and cassava stems in Anambra as economic empowerment by government representatives.
SaharaReporters had reported how an aide to the then-Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, once distributed wheelbarrows with the inscription, "Gov Ortom for You".
The argument was that the beneficiaries would use the wheelbarrows to run errands and hawk.
The wheelbarrow empowerment initiative resurfaced in Taraba State as a member of the House of Representatives, Maigari Bello-Kasimu, representing Jalingo/Yorro/Zing federal constituency, distributed wheelbarrows to empower some members of his constituency.
"All of them used to hire wheelbarrows and push to earn their living, but now they have the opportunity of owning their wheelbarrows," the spokesperson for the lawmaker, Saidu Na-Anabi, said during the presentation.
Similarly, the late caretaker chairperson of Nsukka Local Government Area in Enugu State, Chinwe Ugwu, also gave wheelbarrows to youths in the area for economic empowerment.
"These are poor people who cannot afford to buy wheelbarrows but had to hire for between N200 and N300 per day," Ugwu said in response to critics.
Similarly, then-Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, said 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.
Also, the late Commissioner for Education in Katsina State, Halimatu Idris, handed out goats to female students at Government Girls Arabic Secondary School, Dutsinma.
The goats were reportedly given to female students in 20 secondary schools who were expected to return the nanny goats to the state government after a year.
More photos below.
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