From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Kano State Government, yesterday, broke its silence over the controversy surrounding the amount it set aside for Ramadan feeding in the state, saying it earmarked only N1.2 billion.
The clarification came barely 24 hours after the All Progress Congress (APC) tasked the government to come clean and account for the N6 billion purportedly disbursed for the Ramadan feeding in the state.
Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Abbas while flagging off the distribution of palliatives to party members in the state, had described the entire exercise as a scam while alleging that the government had failed a creditability test in the implementation of the programme.
But spokesperson to the governor, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, insisted that the actual amount approved for the exercise was N1, 190, 790,000.
He explained that the amount was expected to cater for 100 feeding centres across the eight metropolitan local councils, adding that each centre was expected to feed at least 100 people daily.
He added that it was aimed to support those in need, particularly those who cannot be able to feed themselves during the Holy month such as the people living with disability, Almajiris, orphans and other vulnerable groups..
He recalled that the governor had undertaken an impromptu visit to one of the centres at Gidan Maza, where he expressed disappointment with the sub-standard quality of the food served to the beneficiaries, including taking prompt steps to review and re-direct the implementation of the exercise.