Councillor in Zamfara distributes charcoal, pressing irons to constituents as empowerment support

By Sabiu Abdullahi

A councillor in Zamfara State, Abubakar Muhammad Tahir, who represents Mayana Ward in Gusau, has shared bags of charcoal and charcoal-fired pressing irons with residents of his constituency as part of what he described as an empowerment effort.

Findings show that the items were provided to members of the community to assist them in small income-generating activities. Reports indicate that the outreach targeted residents of Mayana Ward and formed part of the councillor’s engagement with constituents at the grassroots level.

Information published by Nasarawa Daily News stated that the materials were intended to help beneficiaries venture into petty businesses and other trades that depend on charcoal and pressing irons for daily operations.

The development has again drawn attention to the pattern of modest empowerment packages often rolled out by political office holders across the country. Such initiatives, in many cases, have attracted public criticism, with some observers arguing that they offer limited long-term economic value.

In May 2024, the senator representing Kano Central Senatorial District, Rufai Hanga, reportedly distributed 5,000 white garments and clay pots to constituents for burial purposes. The lawmaker’s aide, Dawuud Auwal, later shared a report of the exercise on Facebook and commended the gesture, 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.”

Earlier in March 2024, Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, a member of the House of Representatives for Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency, handed out cooking stoves and other items to constituents in Abia State under an empowerment scheme.

Records also show that on April 29, 2022, Senator Aliyu Wamakko donated wrappers and cash assistance to less-privileged women in Sokoto North Senatorial District to ease financial pressure during the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations. His media aide, Bashar Abubakar, said the former governor personally presented the packages, which went to young girls, women and the elderly.

In February 2022, a councillor in Sokoto donated two plastic mats to residents of Sadada community in Kebbe Local Government Area and posed for photographs during the presentation.

Other examples have surfaced over the years. In 2020, Abdullahi Mamudu, who represented Rijau/Magama Federal Constituency in Niger State, distributed wheelbarrows to youths as part of an employment drive. In 2018, Alhassan Ado Doguwa shared cutlasses and hoes with constituents in Kano State under a youth support initiative.

Media reports in 2021 also highlighted how a local government chairman in Ilesa East, Osun State, presented hairdryers and sewing machines to selected beneficiaries to encourage small businesses.

Across different states, empowerment items have ranged from tricycles and motorcycles to grinding machines, sachet water packs and shoe-shining kits. There have also been instances where donkeys and cassava stems were shared as livelihood support.

One such case involved wheelbarrows branded “Gov Ortom for You,” which were distributed by an aide to former Benue State governor Samuel Ortom. Beneficiaries were expected to use them for errands and street hawking.

A similar programme later appeared in Taraba State, where a lawmaker, Maigari Bello-Kasimu, distributed wheelbarrows to constituents. His spokesperson, Saidu Na-Anabi, explained the rationale, stating, “All of them used to hire wheelbarrows and push to earn their living, but now they have the opportunity of owning their wheelbarrows.”