Bauchi Government has denied recent reports it spent over N5bn on foodstuff and refreshment in 2023.
The government described the reports as false and misleading.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Governor, Comrade Muktar Gidado in a statement dismissed the reports as products of sensationalism.
The government stated the allocation for foodstuff and refreshment did not surpass the combined budget for water facilities, education and health services as alleged.
“The reported figure is a fabrication, lacking any substantiated evidence.” Gidado said.
Gidado explained that part of the N5 billion was part of a federal initiative to alleviate the hardships caused by the removal of petroleum subsidies.
His words “ The Federal Government announced the arrangement to provide each State with 5 Billion, under a structured loan and grant facility, to acquire food items for distribution to citizens as palliatives to ameliorate their sufferings as an emergency intervention. It is also a fact that only N2billion was ultimately disbursed by the Federal Government.
“Under the arrangement, States were to purchase 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of maize and fertilizers to cushion the effect of food shortage that had arisen. Additionally, 180 trucks of rice were to be distributed by the Central Bank of Nigeria with a call for individual states to augment such arrangements in order to expand the benefits to a greater number of citizens.
“In view of the disbursement of only 2 Billion, the State had purchased 88,889 bags of rice of 25kg and had released additional funding of N2 Billion for the procurement of additional quantities of grains as well as settlement of outstanding gratuities and leave grants to civil servants to provide further succor”.
“The distribution was successfully carried out across the State to the satisfaction of the citizens with a wide coverage among the needy segments of the society. This exercise was conducted across all the States with varying quantities of foodstuff and materials distributed. It is surprising that the exercise in Bauchi will be isolated and reported negatively and mischievously.”
“The efforts of the State were reflected in the Budget performance for the year 2023 which had been hosted on the State Government’s website and made available to the public since 27th January 2024. Specifically, the sum of N4,542,604,244 was reported as expenses incurred under the distribution of foodstuffs, catering and materials supply.”
“This comprised of the palliatives distributed as noted earlier as well as relief materials which included food items and building materials that were provided at various times within the year to victims and communities of the flood disasters that occured in various Local Governments in the State that had led to the destruction of homes and farmlands; food and material support for Internally Displaced Persons who had sought refuge in the State from crises in their primary places of residences in neighboring states; and for victims of various fire and other natural disasters that occurred across the State.”
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