By Aminu Adamu Naganye
As part of decentralizing dividends of democracy and ensuring federal projects spread to the grassroot level, the Federal Government provided Zonal Intervention Projects (ZIP) that allow federal legislators to nominate and facilitate projects in their constituencies and senatorial zones as the case may be.
To achieve the above objectives, a member that represented Katagum federal constituency in the 9th Green Chamber of the National Assembly, Hon. Umar Abdulkadir Sarki, had nominated various intervention projects worth millions of naira to empower youths in his constituency, Katagum local government area of Bauchi State.
According to records of payment obtained from GovSpend.ng, a platform that documents all federal government payment to contractors through MDAs, the lawmaker facilitated the interventions to his constituency through the Border Communities’ Development Agency (BCDA) and Nigeria Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research.
Xchange Hama Media traced some of the beneficiaries who confirmed their longstanding relationships with the lawmaker and participating in his political campaigns were some of the conditions considered while distributing the intervention.
Associates, loyalists confirm benefitting
A beneficiary of the intervention who identified himself simply as Alh. Abdulaziz Azare confirmed his long-term relation with the lawmaker led him to benefit many things from the lawmaker including a car courtesy of the intervention.
According Abdulaziz, Hon. Sarki had given him a vehicle among many other things. “I honestly can’t narrate all that I got from him. If you are to write everything, I don’t think you can finish in 30 minutes to 1 hour. Because I have been his associate right before joining politics. But briefly I can say in politics when he was in the national assembly, I have got many things including a car. That is what I can probably tell you.”
Abdulaziz boasts furhter:“I am married to three wives with 18 children. Of the 18, he purchased rams for the naming ceremonies of all my children except 3.”
Another constituent, Misbahu Mohammed Azare, explained that his loyalty and party affiliation paved the way for getting the intervention from the legislator. “Certainly, I am one of the beneficiaries. I was given a motorcycle popularly known as honky. I was his loyalist to the core since from the beginning of his struggle to clinch the position we have been there with him. I am a bona fide member of the PRP and my efforts paid off which we were rewarded.”
For Nata’alah Abdu, Hon. Sarki has been his political compass which directed his movement politically.
“In 2022, I got a motorcycle from him. I have been with him even before he ventured into politics. We were in the PDP together before cross-carpeting to PRP,” Nata’alah told Xchange Hama Media.
Party Officials Benefitted Too
Apart from long-term allies that got the intervention, members and officials of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), a platform that Hon. Sarki utilised to win the 2019 legislative election, also have been given a number of motorcycles courtesy of the purported youths empowerment programme.
Nasarawa B Ward PRP Chairman in Azare town of Katagum federal constituency, Mal. Jibrin Yakubu aka Baba Jibrin, explained that the legislator has dedicated some parts of the intervention exclusively to the party officials.
Mal. Jibrin revealed that primary beneficiaries of the empowerment were members of the PRP and longstanding political associates of the lawmaker who had been with him through thick and thin.
“I think among the 20 ward party chairmen in the constituency, 17 have got the motorcycles and I am one of them. Personally, I was given a motorcycle called hunter at the time. His representative would call you to ask for the location the motorcycle will be delivered and they would take it there. Mine was delivered at my residence,” Jibrin said.
He added that “You know there is what is called Farar tafiya – they are his loyal associates – that follow him anywhere he goes politically. They are not members of PRP. They were with him in PDP, APC, PDM to PRP. They are called as such they have their leadership and structures across wards. They were also given the bikes.”
He confessed that “Honestly I don’t know anyone that got any motorcycle or item that is not loyal or close to the lawmaker.”
However, PRP chairman party in Katagum local government, Alh Mohammed Rabiu Yarmota, while narrating his experience commended the lawmaker and dispelled giving the intervention to only members of the PRP.
Yarmota said “He did empowerment for people with motorcycle and sewing machines. He empowered party members and non-party members in the constituency.”
However, the PRP Chairman could not provide details of any beneficiary that is not linked to the lawmaker despite requests in the constituency. He declined to explain the procedures followed in selecting the beneficiaries.
Women, Persons With Disabilities Excluded
The intervention, which primarily involved purchase and distribution of motorcycles to youths and youths groups in Katagum Federal constituency, did not make provision for women and persons with disabilities, leading to systematically being excluded as beneficiaries of the items.
Although current accurate data is not available, both previous data from Nigeria’s National Population Commission (NPC) and estimated Nigeria’s Population stratification by United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) reported that Nigeria has almost an even distribution of male and female population, including at subnational level.
However, despite their significant population and their enviable desire to always vote in an election, women and women groups have been excluded from the intervention.
Xchange Hama Media traced at least one person that was given a car and many men that went home with motorcycles; it could not trace one woman that got a motorcycle or a vehicle in the intervention despite repeated efforts.
Conversely, women only confirmed to have been given sewing machines and grinding machines which are generally very cheap compared to a motorcycle or a car which men benefitted from.
A woman, Hajia Aisha Azare who was given a sewing machine, told Xchange Hama Media that she and many other women benefited from the intervention. They confirmed that they have been given either sewing machines or grinding machines but their male counterparts got motorcycles and vehicles.
Okada not included
According to the payment details of the intervention, the items were targeted at supporting and empowering youths and youths groups in Azare.
Xchange Hama Media observed that there are hundreds of youths using motorcycles as their means of livelihood in Katagum federal constituency including Azare town, the headquarters of the constituency. This is not unconnected to the fact that the constituency has many rural areas that rely on motorcycles for transportation.
Mahmud Madaci, an okada transporter in Azare town told Xchange Hama Media he neither benefited nor heard of any of okada men that benefited from the intervention.
“I don’t know anyone from the okada community that got at least a motorcycle from the lawmaker. We heard that he distributed many motorcycles, but he did it to politicians who supported him,” Mahmud added.
Another okada rider, Magaji Isah, argued that “they distribute everything along party lines and those close to them. If you want support, you have to be with them. Whether APC, PDP or PRP, they are like that. They are all the same.”
Hon. Sarki has lost his re-election bid to Hon. Auwalu Abdu Gwalabe of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and has defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC)
Several attempts to reach out to the former member of the green chamber, Hon. Sarki proved futile. Multiple calls through his known phone number did not go through while checks on his residences in Azare and Bauchi could not yield a positive outcome.
On their parts, the supervising agencies, the Border Communities’ Development Agency (BCDA) and Nigeria Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR)were reached out differently.
While NIOMR, when contacted through a phone number provided on its website, an employee of the agency who identified as Mr John David explained that their task was to follow the right procedure but couldn’t say a word on the exclusion or inclusion of any beneficiary because that is not their work.
“I don’t think we have the right to question a lawmaker that nominated the project and provide a list of beneficiaries. He knows his constituency better than us, so we cannot question him,” David said in a phone call.
This publication is produced with support from the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability Project (CMEDIA) funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
