#TrackNigeria -Aisha Buhari, the wife of President Muhammadu
Buhari, has criticised the N500 billion Social Investment Programme of her
husband’s administration and the $16 million spent by Nigeria as counterpart
funding for purchase of mosquito nets.
Aisha made her feelings known on Saturday during an interactive programme she
organised for women at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
She said the SIP, under the watch of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and with
Maryam Uwais as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on the scheme,
has failed in her home state of Adamawa and Kano State.
She said the implementation of the programme as far as she was concerned, has
failed in Adamawa State because she does not known those who have benefitted
from it.
She said it is the same situation in Kano State.
Aisha said: “Concerning the N500 billion 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 the 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 did 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 fail 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 N500 billion to be utilised 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 did not get it.
“How many of you get it in your state?
“My state did not benefit from it.”
Women in the hall answer overwhelmingly: “No.”
Aisha then added, “It worked out well in a situation whereby they have market
associations but I was thinking different methods should be used in the North.”
On the spending of $16 million as counterpart fund by Nigeria on mosquito nets,
Aisha told her audience: “I have heard about mosquito nets.
“Nigeria paid its counterpart fund, $16 million.
“I asked them to give me my own share of the net to send it to my village
people.
“I didn’t get it.
“They have spent $16 million on buying mosquito nets.
“I did not get it.
“Maybe some people have gotten it.
“But I feel that, that’s my personal opinion, $16 million is enough to fumigate
mosquitoes in Nigeria.
“That’s my opinion.”
Aisha, however, thanked the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss
Mustapha, for including women in the inaugural activities of President Buhari
for a second term.
She said: “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
giving us hope that we can be involved in certain things.”
Aisha then disclosed how she managed to include herself in an anti-drug
committee chaired by a former Military Administrator of Lagos State, retired
Brigadier General Buba Marwa.
She said: “I also managed to put myself as member of the committee and wife of
the Vice President (Dolapo Osinbajo).
“The wife of the Vice President has worked very well.
“It took her one year to go round schools in Abuja because of the level of
abuse.
“Many girls don’t go to school because they are afraid of being raped while
returning from school or when their parents are away.
“You know most of their parents are farmers.
“The revelation is beyond comment.
“I asked her to publicise her discovery but she didn’t.
“If she had done so, it would have served as lesson.”
Aisha said President Buhari has provided N12 billion for the treatment of
trauma cases in across the country.
She said: “Over N12 billion has been released by the President to take care of
trauma cases in across the country.
“Can you please monitor the money?
“The ministers are going very soon and the monies are being released.”
Aisha also pleaded with the All Progressives Congress to refund the money women
used in purchasing nomination forms in the last 2019 elections.
She said women were marginalised in the elections despite their effort to get
elected.
She advised the women not to relent in the pursuit of their dreams, promising
to continue championing their course.
Culled from The Eagle Online
