Nigerian Senator Rufai Hanga, representing Kano Central Senatorial District, recently faced public criticism after donating 2,000 clay pots and 10,500 yards of white cloth to Muslim graveyards in his constituency.
Hanga, who serves as the Deputy Minority Chief Whip of the 10th Senate and is a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, explained that he made the donation seeking God’s mercy.
The donation, which was reported to be part of Hanga’s constituency project, sparked controversy, with many questioning its appropriateness.
However, Hanga clarified that the donation was not part of his constituency project but rather a personal initiative he has been undertaking for years.
According to Hanga, the donation of clay pots and white cloth to graveyards is a family legacy that he inherited and has been continuing throughout his life.
He emphasized that the gesture was aimed at addressing the shortage of clay pots in most graveyards in Kano.
Despite facing health challenges that led to him spending several months in hospitals in Nigeria, Egypt, and England, Hanga stated that he remained committed to improving the lives of his constituents.
He mentioned that he was successful in securing various projects for his constituency in the 2023 budget and vowed to monitor their implementation closely.
Hanga’s donation is not an isolated incident. Various Nigerian politicians have been known to make similar donations as part of their empowerment initiatives.
These donations have included items such as tricycles, motorcycles, grinding machines, water sachets, shoe-shining starter kits, and even donkeys and cassava stems.
In addition to Hanga’s donation, other politicians have distributed items like wheelbarrows, goats, and other livestock to their constituents as part of their empowerment programs.
While such initiatives have been criticized as inadequate or inappropriate, politicians defend them as efforts to alleviate poverty and empower their constituents.
