The Jigawa State government has expressed concerns over reports of irregularities in the ongoing over N4.8 billion state government-free Ramadan feeding exercise in about 10 local government areas of the state.
The Commissioner for Special Duties, the implementation ministry of the multi-billion Naira programme, Mr Auwal D Sankara, expressed the government’s worries in a post via his official Facebook titled “Warning on the irregularities in the Jigawa State government Ramadan Feedings.”
According to Auwal D. Sankara, irregularities and malpractice had been discovered in nine local government areas where the inadequate government-approved number and quantity of packages were not provided in some centres designed to feed over 300 people every day.
The commissioner said, “We received reports from some Ramadan feeding centres by the Jigawa State government designed to give free fasting breakfast that the food agents were not able to provide less of an agreed package of meals between the agent and the government”.
He said the affected local government areas include Garki, Gumel, Guri, Gwiwa, and Hadejia.
Others are Jahun, Malam Madori, Roni, and Dutse local government areas.
“In my position as Commissioner of Special Duties, who is responsible for supervising the implementation of this programme, I’m strongly warning all agents, local supervisors, and stakeholders that this would be the last warning. Any among the agents found with any sort of malpractice or inability to complete the package or shorting the number of beneficiaries would be dealt with accordingly.”
Sankara added, “We will not tolerate any form of cheating or malpractice by any contractor, vendor, or agent in this exercise. He/she would be dealt with irrespective of his/her status. We employed the services of hidden supervisors to supervise the exercise statewide and report to the government.”
He called on all people involved in the programme to be sincere and just in their respective responsibilities to achieve the desired objectives of the programme in this special time.
It could be recalled that the Jigawa State governor, Malam Umar Namadi, has approved and released over N4.8 billion for Ramadan feedings across 287 political wards in the 27 local government areas of the state.
Findings by Online Tribune in the state revealed that there are 27 food items contractors, one in each of the local government areas, while 287 agents, 11 or 10 in each of the 27 local government areas depending on the number of political wards in the area, who provide the two food vendors in each of the political wards.
Online Tribune in the state gathered that all the 27 local government area food contractors, 287 suppliers, and 574 vendors were commissioners, Special Advisers, and Assistants to the governor and ruling party (APC) stalwarts handling the jobs in their respective localities.
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