Kano Denies Spending N6bn on Ramadan Feeding

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has   said the state did not spend  N6 billion on  the  Ramadan feeding programme.

Speaking at a press conference in his office  yesterday, the Director-General on Media and Publicity to the governor, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa, said it has become imperative to avail the public of the actual amount earmarked for the programme.

“The actual amount earmarked and approved by the governor of Kano State for the 2024 Ramadan feeding is N1, 190, 790,000:00. This amount is expected to cater for 100 feeding centres across eight metropolitan local government areas with each center expected to feed at least one thousand people daily.”

“This programme aims to support those in need, particularly those who cannot be able to feed themselves during the holy month of Ramadan which includes; people living with disability, almajiris, orphans, and other vulnerable groups.

The governor on Friday paid an unscheduled visit to one of the 80 Ramadan meal cooking centres where he expressed dissatisfaction over the quality of the food prepared, despite allocating N1,197,700,000 for the programme.

“The Executive Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf has undertaken an impromptu visit to one of the centres at Gidan Maza, in Kano Municipal Local Government, during which he expressed disappointment over the sub-standard quality of the food served to the beneficiaries.”

“Based on this development, the governor instantly summoned an emergency meeting with the committee saddled with the responsibility of the Ramadan feeding to re-direct the implementation of the exercise to a more responsive, transparent, and accountable manner that can guarantee efficiency and value for money as designed in the initial proposal of the feeding program and approved by His Excellency,” he said.

The Spokesman further explained that  the governor had summoned the committee saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the feeding program to review the program.

Bature added that the governor ordered an investigation into poor quality of food prepared for onward distribution to residents for Iftar (breaking of fast) as part of the Ramadan Feeding Programme in the state.

The DG also stated that apart from the 120,000 bags of rice donated by Aliko Dangote Foundation, the state government had also received 199 trucks of grains from the federal government.

He said the aforementioned would be distributed to Kano residents across the 484 wards, starting this week.

“The state government has received, from the federal government, a total of 100 trucks of 25kg bag of rice, 44 trucks of sorghum, 14 trucks of millet, and 41 trucks of maize.

“These food items will be distributed to Kano people at the state’s 484 political wards from this week,” he disclosed.