As parts of his plans to woo electorates, Bala Mohammed, Governor of Bauchi State has distributed motorcycles and cars to some loyalists under the umbrella of People Democratic Party (PDP).
The beneficiaries of the empowerment promote the present administration and are campaigning for the re-election of the governor in the forthcoming 2023 elections.
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Posts and tweets about the empowerment trended on the social media pages congratulating the beneficiaries while others commended the Governor for the initiative.
Lawal Mu’azu Bauchi, the New Media Aide to Governor Bala, tweeted on Bauchi Vision: “I want to use this medium too, on behalf of my senior colleague, the Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to His Excellency, express my sincere appreciation to our social media platforms and activists who in one way or another contributed actively to ensure the Kaura Economic Empowerment Programme (Social media) went successful.
Aslo, the governor’s son, Shamsudeen Bala Mohammed, on his Facebook timeline posted a message, congratulating the beneficiaries and posted.
“Congratulation to all beneficiaries of HE’s Empowerment,” he wrote.
But his post was greeted with criticisms as netizens argued that the intervention was ’one-sided.’
REACTIONS
In his comment, Nuhu Yakubu Tuwur bemoaned that their social media group DUGURI SOCIAL MEDIA did not benefit from from the empowerment program despite their support to the governor, describing it unfortunate.
He posted: “We DUGURI SOCIAL MEDIA nothing for us and it disturbs us. Despite our support to the governor, it’s sad that none benefited from that empowerment.”
Another grieving loyalist, Miftahu Ladan Bauchi, said despite meeting requirements to benefit from tge scheme, it was counterproductive.
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“We congratulate them but were seriously left behind. We have not benefited from anything despite the need.”
Instead of cars or motorcycles, some supposed beneficiaries got N40,000 smartphones, according to Eshat Yarhajiya commented.
“We are always supporting Kaura, but for five years, we haven’t benefitted with anything apart from 40k phone,” she commented.
Abubakar Ibrahim Wuromadaki, another loyalist, lamented that in Kirfi LGA, none of the members benefited despite their “unreserved” support to the governor.
He pleaded with Shamsudeen to consider their grievances and connect them with relevant agents to get them to benefit from the program.
Abdul Abk Badara described the empowerment as ‘Friends and Family Empowerment’. He bemoaned Kirfi LG have not benefited with “even a bicycle.”
Another netizen from Duguri, Babangida mocked the fellow group embers that could not secure anything. He wrote “so we Duguri youth are left with congratulating people?
Abdul Warji Na Leader had it that recounted that members from Warji LG are “always the victims of politics”.
He vowed that they would not support Governor Bala’s re-election. But Ibrahim Haruna Ibson Warji subsequently commented that “we will support Kaura in 2023 even without empowerment.”
Jones James decried that sharing of the items was deliberately centralised and sidelined. ”This empowerment is only within Bauchi metropolis, is very unfortunate seriously. Is that how empowerment should be? It’s one-sided, let there be corrections.”
In contrast, Bashir Abdulhamid said he is one of the beneficiaries: “Thank you so much because I am one of the beneficiaries.”
However, Simon Levi argued that those that could not benefit should remain patient and might get one day.
“I attended, and I saw how these people were jubilating for the empowerment that impressed me dearly. Anyone jubilating I felicitate with him and any with sorry, I condole him, I believe one day is our chance to jubilate too, congratulation to the beneficiaries,” he said.
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Governor Bala is seeking reelection for another four years term under PDP against the Sadique Baba Abubakar of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Senator Halliru Dauda Jika of the New Nigerian Party (NNPP).
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