ENetSuD:DESPITE THE ₦20 MILLION MONETIZED PALLIATIVE, SOME CITIZENS ALLEGEDLY GOT ₦1,000 NAIRA IN BARUTEN LGA

ENetSuD:DESPITE THE ₦20 MILLION MONETIZED PALLIATIVE, SOME CITIZENS ALLEGEDLY GOT ₦1,000 NAIRA IN BARUTEN LGA 

Baruten LGA with 132 polling units has 4 Emirates: Ilesha-Baruba, Gwanara, Okuta, and the Yashikira Emirates. Take off ground for each district was the Emir’s palace. The announcement of the money received was made in the palace of Emir of Ilesha-Baruba. From Ilesha-Baruba, the team was divided into 2 constituencies. Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danlandi and Hon. Sabi Aliyu Kora (Dudu) (Commissioner for Energy) coordinated the team for Ilesha/ Gwanara Constituency, while Hon. Muhammed Baba Saliu (representing Okuta/Yashikira Constituency), SSA SDG (Dr. Jemilah Bio) and other officials coordinated that of Okuta/Yashikira. Rt. Hon. Danladi allegedly funded the journey logistics, making the funds available for distribution. All political office holders, joint political party executives, religious leaders, traditional leaders, union leaders, and LGA DPM were part of the distribution committees. Each ward constituted its own committee who claimed the sum due to all the polling units under it.

ENetSuD was informed by sources from the LGA that about 14.20% of the ₦20 million meant for distribution to the appropriate beneficiaries in Baruten LGA was already shared with citizens in Ilorin, and thus the actual amount that was shared among beneficiaries in Baruten was about 85.80%. For instance, eighty (80) households in Ilorin received ₦20,000 naira each. The four (4) Emirs were given ₦250,000 each. Women group in Ilorin received ₦150,000. Less privileged in Ilorin received ₦200,000. Thus, a sum of ₦17,160,000 allegedly went to Baruten for sharing among the 132 polling units. Each polling unit was allotted ₦130,000 and such amount was received on behalf of each ward by the constituted committees from each community.

ENetSuD was also informed that communities in Okuta District have 8 polling units and some decided to use their money for community projects as they have food. Some communities in Gwanara like Ningurume also have 3 polling units and decided to complete their community mosque with their money.

A community member in Sinawu town, in Tumbunyan Ward under Ilesha-Baruba Emirate, told ENetSuD that “Initially ₦100,000 was delivered to be the community by the people in charge (from Sinawu our ward headquarters) but after so many pressure, agitations and dialogue, the sum of ₦20,000 was added to make a total of ₦120,000 and was distributed to the members in the community”.

Another resident told ENetSuD that “the palliative gesture from the state government was shared to the most vulnerable in Okuta ward and my polling units (Maro) in particular where I was privileged to view the list of all the beneficiaries. I can authoritatively state here that over 50 people got ₦2000 each in my polling unit, more so, unconfirmed information revealed that such amount was equally shared in all other polling units in Okuta communities. Kudos to all the committee members that did such a thorough job in identifying the most vulnerable in our community". The elderly, widows, disabled people in any form were selected from each polling unit by two representatives of APC and PDP to avoid nepotism and sentiment in the selection process".

In another discussion with ENetSuD, a resident said “₦2000 each was given to beneficiaries with verified names. They gave ₦2,000 each to old men that can't do anything. The rest change, we don't know how it happened”.

In Okuta, another resident told ENetSuD that “We couldn't even understand the sharing method. According to a reliable source, he said Kwara State Government brought ₦150,000 per polling unit and we have 7 polling units which make the amount to ₦1,050,000 but we couldn't understand how they share the money. They said the money belongs to old men and women in every household but the majority of people didn't see the money and those people that got the money are (got) ₦1,000”.

Some community members in Yabereku and Gbengberu also noted that only ₦110,000 and ₦100,000 naira respectively was brought to their community, contrary to the ₦130,000 allegedly sent to each polling unit. In Ilesa Baruba, each household got just ₦1,000.

In conclusion, the government is urged to ensure that 100% of the money meant for a palliative to widows, aged, persons with disabilities, and artisans are shared for them without any deduction by a group of persons who are not supposed to benefit. The government is also urged to ensure that all palliative exercises are monitored by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) under adequate security measures. It is also strongly advised that the government should collect data of vulnerable people from each community, verify such and devise a way of directly reaching out to such vulnerable people with less or no interference from any individual or group. This will prevent diversion of funds or short-change of beneficiaries by representative community committees.