Governor, House Of Reps Member Allegedly Shared 3500 Bags Of Constituency Project Fertilisers To Party Loyalists, Friends – Report
This was revealed by BudgIT Foundation, a civic-tech organisation that provides tools, data and insights to promote fiscal transparency and accountability in Nigeria and Africa.
Governor Dikko Umar Radda of Katsina State and the House of Representatives member representing Batagarawa/Charanchi/Rimi Federal Constituency in the state have allegedly shared 3500 bags of fertiliser meant to be a constituency project to party loyalists and friends.
This was revealed by BudgIT Foundation, a civic-tech organisation that provides tools, data and insights to promote fiscal transparency and accountability in Nigeria and Africa.
According to BudgIT which made this revelation through TrackaNG, its subsidiary, the sum of N100million was allocated for supply of fertilizer to farmers in the state to enhance agricultural production in Batagarawa/Charanchi/Rimi Federal Constituency of the State in the 2024 federal government budget.
From the evidence of the fertilizers provided by BudgIT, the bags of fertilizers were branded with Banye and Governor Radda’s pictures to make Nigerians believe the constituency project was a donation.
TrackaNG wrote, “Dear @dikko_radda, Hon. Usman Murtala Banye, it is a crime to deceive Nigerians that public-funded projects are donations!!!!
“N100m was allocated to the Supply of Fertilizer to Farmers to Enhance Agricultural Production in Batagarawa/Charanchi/Rimi Federal Constituency of Katsina State in the 2024 FG Budget.
“However, you distributed 3,500 bags of fertilizer to party loyalists and your friends. The fertilizers were branded with Hon. Usman Murtala Banye and @dikko_radda’s pictures to mislead the public into thinking this project was a donation.
“We call on the National Animal Product Research Institute, Zaria, the implementing agency, to provide the public with the details of this project.
“We ask that @icpcnigeria and @efccnigeria investigate this project for mismanagement of public funds.”
SaharaReporters contacted Kaula Ibrahim Mohammed, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Radda on Monday for reaction and clarifications.
He said he was on a transit and promised to get back in a few hours.
However, till the time of filing this report, he has neither got back to SaharaReporters as promised despite sending him a reminder nor responded to the reminder sent to him.
