Assalamu Alaikum Your Excellency,
I trust this message finds you well. May Almighty Allah accept our ibadah and make us among those who are pardoned in this blessed month.
I am writing to express my concerns regarding the Ramadan Feeding Program that commenced last week. Thorough measures must be taken to ensure that the entire budget of N4.8 billion reaches the deserving people of our state.
It is evident that the program has been plagued by numerous issues, including a lack of proper hygiene during food preparation, insufficient nutritional quality, and the replacement of community members with individuals from different areas, among other concerns.
Your Excellency, you are aware that N4.8 billion is a substantial amount—funds that could be allocated for infrastructure and human capital development. However, you chose to utilize it to alleviate the economic burden on the masses. This makes it even more critical to ensure that the program is implemented with the highest level of transparency and efficiency.
In this regard, I urge Your Excellency to involve Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in each local government area to enhance accountability and transparency in the execution of the program. A case in point is our neighboring state of Kano, whose population is nearly double that of Jigawa. They allocated N8 billion for their Ramadan Feeding Program, and anyone can attest to the high quality of food distributed, as strict measures regarding safety, quality, and nutrition have been met.
Meanwhile, in Jigawa, some images have surfaced showing a lack of proper hygiene, inadequate nutritional content, and an overall lack of transparency in the process. Since you are already planning a visit, I urge you to take this opportunity to probe some of the concerns raised about the program. It would be unethical to turn a blind eye to how such a massive sum is being managed.
I commend your unwavering commitment to improving the lives of the people of Jigawa. However, Your Excellency, do not allow these successes to overshadow critical issues in other initiatives under your leadership.
Recently, we heard claims from the Commissioner of Health that the people of Birnin Kudu were denied access to billions of naira meant for the health sector. These concerns warrant urgent investigation.
Your initiative, Gwamnati da Jama’a (Government and the People), is commendable, and I urge you to take this open letter as a direct message from the masses, calling for necessary action.
As a journalist, my responsibility is to see Jigawa excel in every aspect and to ensure that the government remains accountable. I sincerely hope that Your Excellency will take the necessary steps to address these concerns and retain the trust and respect of the people you serve.
Muhammad Abubakar Tahir, Freelance Journalist | PRNigeria Fellow | PDGP Fellow, Hadejia, Jigawa State is reachable via [email protected].
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