Ebun Francis|
First Lady, Aisha Buhari has said that the implementation of Social Investment Programmes (SIP), initiated by her husband’s administration to eradicate poverty in the country, has failed in the north.
Aisha, noted for criticising her husband publicly, made the assertion on Saturday while speaking at an interactive session with women at the State House, Abuja.
She said “ Concerning the N500bn voted for SIP, that was part of 2015 campaigns where they promised to give out N10,000, feed pupils in primary schools and give N5,000 to the poorest of the poorer.
“The SSA to the president on social investment is a lady from Kano and I’m sure that my husband decided to put somebody from Kano because of the population and political impact it made.
“I have never asked how do money is being used or is being given out. I met Barrister (one of the President aides on SIP) once and he promised me that for my state (Adamawa) we should get 30,000 women to be given N10,000. Up till now I haven’t heard from him.
“I don’t want to raise alarm that my state do not benefit from it, where SGF came from, I kept quiet because I don’t want people to say that I talk too much.
“Recently I saw a 74-year-old man selling petty things in Kano, I asked him how much is his capital, he told me between N3,000 and N4,000. Don’t forget that we have campaigned to give the poorest of the poor, N5,000 every month.
“ So I don’t know where the social investment. Maybe, It worked out in some states. In my own state, only a local government benefited out of the 22. I didn’t ask what happened and I don’t want to know but for it failed woefully in Kano, it’s not a good sign and it’s not a good thing.
“We have a lot of women that do business locally due to the cultural thing in the north, that are at home doing their businesses. Some are millionaires, some have thousands of naira, they need the assistance but they do not get it. Most northern women do not belong to any market association
“ I was expecting that N500bn to be utilized in different methods in the north for the aim to be achieved. I don’t know the method they used but most of the northern states do not get it. My state do not get it.”
Asking the women in the hall, she said “How many of you get it in your state?
‘My state did not benefit from it”, the women in the hall answered
The first lady continued, “It worked out well in a situation whereby they have market associations but I was thinking different methods should be used in the North.”
She also expressed reservations on the $16m counterpart fund expended on mosquito nets.
“ I have heard about mosquito nets, Nigeria paid its counterpart fund, $16m. I asked them to give my own share of the net to send it to my village people. I didn’t get it.
Read also: Aisha Buhari appeals to Muslims to assist needy
“They have spent ,$16m on buying mosquito nets, I did not get it, maybe some people have gotten it. But I feel that, that’s my personal opinion, $16m is enough to fumigate mosquitoes in Nigeria. That’s my opinion,” she said.
She, however, thanked the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha for including women in the inaugural activities of the President for second term.
“I will also like to use the opportunity to thank the SGF for including women in the inaugural activities of Mr. President, this is what is called next level. They didn’t allow us to participate in politics but now they have started given us hope that we can be involved in certain things,” she said.
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