Aisha Bala Mohammed, Bauchi State First Lady described as misleading media report suggesting she had empowered young girls with sachet water as empowerment packs.
The first lady in a statement through her media aide, Murjanatu Musa Maidawa said “ordinarily, we would not have responded to such misleading reports and comments on Social Media Platforms, because we believe the generality of women and the vulnerable in Bauchi State are well acquainted with the humanitarian efforts of Her Excellency, Dr A’isha Bala Mohammed through Almuhibbah Foundation since it was established 13 years ago.
“However, we choose to respond because of the need to clear the air for other citizens who may be misled into believing that bags of sachet water was all that the First Lady presented to the beneficiaries of her empowerment program in Futuk Community”, the statement read in part.
The statement says “in the past 13 years, Her Excellency through her pet project Almuhibbah Foundation, has never at a point conducted any training or donated any kind of empowerment package to any set of beneficiaries without consulting them on their needs in line with the particular skill(s) they acquire.
Maidawa said the starter packs distributed include; Spaghetti making machines, flour, money and bags of Sachet Water.
“The Online Medium however mischievously ignored all the other items and single out Bags of Sachet Water in order to satisfy the wishes of their pay masters whose stock in trade is to mislead the gullible and create unnecessary controversies”, it added.
“Some were in the past empowered with Sewing Machines, Grinding Machines, Knitting Machines and Salon equipment, depending on the nature of training they received and their preferences.
“As a mother who is passionate about uplifting the disadvantaged women and Vulnerable Youths in our Society, the First Lady, despite the mischievous criticism, will not relent in this noble path.
“We therefore consider such misleading reports and posts on social media platforms as part of a grand design to distract the First Lady and by extension the Present administration in the State from fulfilling its social contract with the electorate who massively voted the Kauran Bauchi, a man they trust to pilot the state to the promised land”, Mrs Maidawa argued.