Politicians at various levels carry out different initiatives to empower people at the lowest ebb of the society, as part of efforts to alleviate poverty. But some of these empowerments could best be described as funny and bizzare.
Federal and state governments often earmark certain amounts of money for zonal intervention projects (ZIPs), otherwise called constituency projects. They are meant to spread development to the grassroots through the intervention of the people’s representatives in the legislature.
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While some of these projects have had meaningful impact on the lives of the beneficiaries, others are bizarre and leave much to be desired. Daily Trust looks at some of these “funny” empowerment schemes.
‘Sachet water’ empowerment for Bauchi women
Wife of Bauchi State Governor, Hajiya (Dr) Aisha Bala Mohammed, organized an elaborate ceremony in July this year to unveil her empowerment package – bags of sachet water for rural women in Futuk community of Alkaleri Local Government Area.
The sachet water empowerment generated controversy within and outside the state. But the spokesperson of the first lady, Murjanatu Musa Maidawa, cleared the air by saying that “Her Excellency and the Founder of Almuhibbah Foundation, while at Futuk, trained 250 women and youths of the area in various economic skills and empowered them with starter packages. These starter packs include Spaghetti making machines, flour, money and bags of sachet water.”
Constituents empowered with 100,000 transistor radio sets in Kaduna
Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th Senate, stunned Nigerians when he distributed 100,000 radio sets to communities in seven local government areas under his zone.
The radio sets were shared in 2016 to members of communities in Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Birnin Gwari, Chikun, Giwa, Igabi and Kajuru local government areas.
While the picture of the distribution trended on social media, with mixed reactions trailing the decision, Sani said he gave out the radio sets to contribute towards the political consciousness of his people.
“Radio is the major source of information dissemination in the region with or without electricity. So, I am sharing this radio to contribute towards political consciousness within the people of my own senatorial district,” he said.
Shoe polish kits for 5,000 Borno youths
In 2018, Borno State Commissioner for Higher Education and House of Representatives aspirant, Usman Jaha (Babawo), was tongue-lashed by social media critics when he unveiled his youths empowerment package: a row of kitted shoe-shine boxes and bags of oranges donated to 5,000 beneficiaries in Gwoza.
While the males were given “new improved shoe shining kit” fully equipped with bucket, polish and brush, the women were empowered with wooden basket and bags of oranges.
In a response to his critics, Babawo said his shoe polish empowerment package was based on the peculiar needs of the beneficiaries.
Babawo, in a statement, said, “The programme is my personal effort and it is based on the peculiar needs of the beneficiaries in Gwoza.
“All communities have their needs and these needs change from time to time. In my years as a politician who served at the Borno State Assembly before becoming a commissioner, I have always interacted with constituents before making any welfare intervention. I make interventions based on their peculiar needs.”
‘Donkey empowerment’ in Kano
Murtala Gwarmai, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State on Youth Development, organized a colourful ceremony at the state’s Ministry of Youth and Sports to distribute donkeys and other items to empower young people.
Gwarmai also distributed motorcycles, bicycles, cash prizes worth N100,000, building blocks and roofing sheets among others.
The governor’s aide said the decision to include the donkey in the list of items distributed followed the request made by one of the beneficiaries, who uses it to transport sand, gravel and blocks.
The donkey empowerment, Gwarmai said, would help improve the business of the beneficiary.
Cassava stems to farmers in Anambra
A member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Patrick Obalum Udoba, recently shared bundles of cassava stems to his constituents.
The distribution, flagged off at Umueze Anam, a community in his constituency, generated mixed reactions from Nigerians as the news went viral on social media.
The lawmaker was reported to have said that he distributed the high yielding cassava stems so that his constituents can make up for what they lost in the 2020 flood disaster which affected their communities and their crops.
The lawmaker had, in 2019, distributed two truckloads of cassava stems to his constituents.
Ropes to constituents in Benue
Daniel Msughter Ukpera, a local politician in Benue State, had set the social media agog for weeks after he donated bundles of ropes to Imande Akpu and Tse-Chagu communities in Makurdi to tie their goats.
Ukpera contested to represent Guma Constituency at the Benue State House of Assembly in 2019 under the platform of Labour Party, but lost.
He said the initiative was in support of the state anti-open grazing and ranches establishment law introduced by Samuel Ortom, the state governor.
The donation would further help in the ongoing campaign against open grazing and prevent animals from roaming the streets, he added.
If used correctly, the ropes are capable of reducing goat rustling by 70 percent and other cases of missing goats by as much as 65 percent, the politician reportedly explained.
One of his supporters said the ropes were meant to create awareness and sensitise the people about their roles as spelt out in the grazing law.
Also, Benue State governor Samuel Ortom was once heavily criticized both in conventional and social media when the photos of the Ortom-branded wheelbarrows went viral.
But the state governor distanced himself from the branded wheelbarrows, saying that he had numerous laudable empowerment schemes for youths but the wheelbarrow empowerment was not among.
“The attention of Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has been drawn to pictures of wheelbarrows bearing his name and posted on social media suggesting that he plans to empower youths of the state with the carts.
“We wish to make it clear that the consent of the governor was not sought and he did not give approval for anyone to inscribe his name on the said wheelbarrows,” Ortom’s Chief Press Secretary, Tever Akase said.
Fishing nets, canoes for Bayelsa youths
The member representing Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Preye Influence Oseke, last month dolled out fishing nets and canoes to his constituents, who, he said, were carefully selected among the targeted persons.
The items were distributed to the beneficiaries after undergoing an intensive course organized in collaboration with Small and Medium Enterprises Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
The lawmaker’s 2020 Zonal Intervention Project (ZIP) for youths and women also featured Conditional Cash Transfer to the indigent, distribution of cars, sewing machines, cyber cafe equipment, hairdressing, barbing, GSM repairs and welding tools amongst others.
Oseke said the beneficiaries were trained with requisite skills to manage small and medium scale businesses effectively.
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