Bauchi House of Representatives’ wife empowers youth with sugarcane

The wife of the member representing Bauchi Federal Constituency in Bauchi State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aliyu Garu, Hajiya Fatima Aminu Aliyu Garu, has been in the news for allegedly distributing sugarcane bunches to some youths as part of her empowerment programme.

According to one X user with the account @Abdoulrahmarn, the empowerment program was carried out last week when the honorable wife distributed sugar cane to the youth with the aim of providing them with business opportunities.

“The wife of the Honourable Member Representing Bauchi State Federal Constituency, Hajiya Fatima Aminu Aliyu Garu, was conducting an empowerment programme for some youths last week,” wrote @Abdoulrahmarn.

However, this is not the first time that people in power and elected officials would use such ridiculous means to empower their constituents.

There are situations where donkeys, wheelbarrows, shoe shine kits, cassava stalks, hoes, brooms, water bags, also known as pure water and clay pots are given in the name of empowerment.

A few years ago, an aide to former Benue state governor Samuel Ortom distributed wheelbarrows with the words, “Governor Ortom for You” to youths in the state.

In Taraba State, a member of the House of Representatives, Maigari Bello-Kasimu, who represents Jalingo/Yorro/Zing federal constituency, also distributed wheelbarrows to empower some members of his constituency.

Justifying the empowerment program, Bello-Kasimu told reporters in an interview:

“Before, they all rented pushcarts and pushed them to make a living, but now they have the opportunity to own their own pushcarts.”

Former interim chairman of Nsukka Local Government in Enugu State, Chinwe Ugwu, also took the pushcart route as he carried out what he called economic empowerment for the youths in his council.

“They are poor people who cannot afford to buy wheelbarrows but have to rent them for between N200 and N300 per day,” Ugwu said as some critics questioned the rationale behind the wheelbarrows.

The current Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, as Governor of Kano State, once boasted of how he spent N208 million to empower ‘Mai Shayi’ or tea sellers in the state by providing them with items such as cartons of noodles, crates of eggs, spaghetti, bread, cocoa drinks, liquid and powdered milk, brown and white sugar, nylons and cups.

Last year, the senator representing Kano Central Senatorial District, Rufai Hanga distributed 5,000 pieces of white cloth and earthen pots to people in his constituency as burial supplies for their loved ones while Ginger Onwusibe, the member representing Isialangwa North and South constituency in Abia State in the National Assembly distributed cassava stalks, yams and other plant seedlings to his constituents to celebrate his first anniversary in office.

Wife of the Honourable Member Representing Bauchi State Federal Constituency Hajiya Fatima Aminu Aliyu Garu Conducted an empowerment program to some youths last week photo.twitter.com/UwTgFpKwFK

— .ashraf (@Abdoulrahmarn) Sep 11, 2024

Bauchi lawmaker’s wife empowers youth with sugarcane first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.