Wife of the president, Aisha Buhari, has criticized the Federal Government over the N500 billion Social Investment Programme and the $16 million spent by Nigeria as counterpart funding for purchase of mosquito nets.
She made her criticism on Saturday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja when she had an interaction with some women leaders.
She was particular about the implementation of SIP in her state, Adamawa and Kano State.
She said the programme carried out by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo could not be said to have benefitted the downtrodden in her state as expected.
Her words: “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.”
She said the programme however worked well in a situation where there were market associations.
Speaking on the $16 million as counterpart fund by Nigeria on mosquito nets, she said she had not been able to get her own share which she planned to send to her people in the village.
“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,” she said.
She however thanked the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, for including women in the committee that would see to the inauguration of President Buhari for a second term.
