Popular Nigerian Lawmaker Distributes Charcoal To Constituents As ‘Empowerment Gifts’

The councillor representing Mayana Ward in Gusau, Zamfara State, Abubakar Muhammad Tahir has provided bags of charcoal and charcoal pressing irons to residents of the ward. It was gathered that the items were distributed to constituents to support small-scale economic activities within the community. The initiative, according to information published by Nasarawa Daily News, was aimed at enabling beneficiaries to engage in petty trading and other ventures that require charcoal and charcoal irons. It was learned that the items were meant for residents of Mayana Ward in Gusau as part of his outreach to constituents. Nigerian politicians often mock the public by handing out “empowerment” gifts that serve more as spectacle than genuine support. For instance, in May 2024, the senator representing Kano Central Senatorial District, Rufai Hanga, shared 5,000 white pieces of cloth and clay pots to the people of his constituency as burial materials for their loved ones. His constituency has 15 local government areas. An aide to the Senator, Dawuud Auwal, shared a link to a report about the project on his Facebook page. He praised the Senator for his foresight, writing, “Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah A Newspaper Named Newsveo Revealed The Good Things That Senator Rufai Hanga Has Brought To His Region In 2024, After I See You On My Facebook Page I See The Contentment Of What They Did And The Truth Of The Conversation Is Why They Did It.” In March 2024, a member of the House of Representatives representing Aba North/Aba South Federal Constituency, Alex Mascot Ikwechegh, distributed cooking stoves and other items to constituents in Abia State as part of an empowerment programme.