Civil Society Organisations and an economist have criticised the earmarking of billions of naira by the Kano and Sokoto state governments for Ramadan feeding programme.

They explained that rather than spend huge amount of money on religious matters, such funds should be channeled to the education of the vulnerable children in their state.

The criticism came on the heels of the N5bn budgeted by the Kano State Government for the feeding initiative.

The Niger State Government also earmarked N976m for Ramadan feeding.

Punch Celebrates Golden Jubilee In Style, Hosts Black Tie Dinner0:00 / 0:00

Earlier, the Sokoto State Government had disclosed that it set aside the sum of N6.7bn for the same purpose.

Speaking with Saturday Punch, the Executive Director of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, stated that the act was “simply wasteful.”

He said, “Their priority is usually self-interest rather than the collective interest of the citizenry. It is profligacy when one budgets that much just for Ramadan feeding.

“The priority should be infrastructural development, education of children and healthcare services. Religion should not be one of those priorities the government will even have a hand in.

“Our advocacy has been that the government should hand over religious matters. Let religious leaders handle their religious issues the way they believe God wants them to practise their religion.”

Similarly, the Chairman of the Rivers State Civil Society Organisations, Enefaa Georgewill, said it was illegal for any government in Nigeria to have done that, adding that Nigeria was a secular state.

Enefaa added, “If such a huge amount of money was for religious activities, how would the government accommodate Christians and the traditionalists who lived in the North and how much has been budgeted for them?

“The same thing happens in the South for our religious activities. This shows the character of the leaders we have in Nigeria. They are aware of the constitution which states that Nigeria is a secular state. It is not a religious state.

“They know that there is a high level of economic crisis bedevilling the nation. Instead of responding to use these billions of naira to fix this crisis, they are spending the money on religious matters. I will call this frivolity.

“We are not saying that people do not have the right to religion. We are not against going to Jerusalem or Mecca, but they should let worshippers do it themselves.”

Also, in a conversation with Saturday PUNCH, an economist, Olaitan Ridwan, said the budget did not mean anything, but the major issue was if the programme would get to the masses.

He noted, “That they budgeted that amount is not bad. If the state governments were known to always do the right thing, it wouldn’t have been a problem. However, how are we sure that the money budgeted will be used for the intended people? That is where the problem lies.”

Speaking earlier on the preparation for the Ramadan feeding, the Kano State Commissioner for Information, Baba Halilu Dantiye, told Saturday PUNCH that no fewer than 90 feeding centres had been established in the eight metropolitan local government areas.

The commissioner explained that the feeding centres were in addition to other centres established in the remaining 36 local government areas for the programme expected to last throughout the Ramadan period.

“About N5bn was earmarked for the programme and we have more than 90 feeding centres in eight metropolitan local government areas in addition to the other centres in the remaining 36 LGs of the state,” the commissioner stressed.

Recall that the Kano State Government recently inaugurated a committee to oversee the feeding of residents during the Ramadan period.

The state Deputy Governor, Aminu Gwarzo, who inaugurated the committee recently, said the free feeding programme was aimed at assisting all residents of the state, especially the poor with food during the period.

He said the committee had been mandated to ensure the effective distribution of the food across all designated feeding centres in the state.

Niger spends N976m

Meanwhile, the Niger State Government said the N976m budgeted for Ramadan feeding was for the eight Emirate Councils of the state.

Also, billions of naira worth of assorted grains have been procured to be distributed to the 25 local government areas, Emirate Councils, religious leaders, security agencies and political parties in the state.

The Commissioner for Information, Binta Mamman, made this known in a statement on Friday in Minna where she said each local government area would receive a total number of 7,079 bags of assorted grains.

“Each of the LGs will receive 1,000 bags of 10kg rice, 184 bags of 25kg rice, 2,000 bags of 10kg maize, 490 bags of 25kg maize, 1,200 bags of 10kg millet, as well as 1,200 bags of sorghum and 775 bags of beans.

“While Bida, Kontagora and Suleja LGs will receive a total of 14,000 bags of assorted grain each, with Chanchaga LG receiving the highest number of 21,000 bags of grains.

Others to benefit from this gesture are traditional and religious institutions, security agencies, Niger State House of Assembly, IDPs and Organized Labour.

“A total sum of N976 million would be expended for Ramadan feeding across the Eight Emirate Councils in the State,” Mamman stated.

Recall that the Sokoto State Government had explained that the sum of N6.7bn allocated for Ramadan feeding in the state was not only to buy foodstuffs to be distributed to the less privileged but also to cover the expenses on half salary for state workers and pensioners.

The state Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, said it earmarked the sum for the 605 Ramadan feeding centres, orphans and people with disability.

The governor, while making clarifications on the earmarked money disclosed that part of the programme schedule for the people was the distribution of grains (rice and millet) to 18,400 orphans and destitute across the state.

Aliyu said, “Each of the 18,400 people is entitled to a bag of rice and one bag of millet in addition to the sum of N5,000. Additionally, the sum of N1.2bn would be spent on 244 political ward feeding centres while N797.9m will be for the existing 335 feeding centres across the state.

“It also includes the sum of N288m to be spent on 26 special feeding centres for people with disability.”

Meanwhile, our correspondents gathered from some states that they would soon make their budgets known, while some were not reachable.

While the Nasarawa State Government said it would soon inform the public on funds earmarked for Ramadan; Borno State disclosed that it did not have a specific budget for Ramadan feeding.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abdullahi Sule, on Public Affairs, Peter Ahemba, promised that the budget for this year’s Ramadan would be made known to the public in due time.

Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babagana Zulum on Media and Publicity, Baba Haruna, said, “With the major population of the state receiving feeding and other essential commodities all year round, we don’t think of specifying Ramadan alone for feeding because we distribute food all year round, especially with the current economic hardship.” (Saturday PUNCH)

Update news