By Rilwan Muhammad
Some youths have looted Ramadan palliative reportedly meant to be distributed in Gombe State by Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Daily Trust reports that Seyi has been visiting northern states where he joined residents and political leaders for breaking of fast (Iftar).
During such visits, the President’s son usually launches Ramadan feeding programme for the less privileged.
The initiative has come under heavy criticisms on social media platforms as netizens passed divergent views and comments on it.
While some welcomed the development, others faulted it, saying the north deserved better treatment than donating mere palliative.
In a Facebook post, Shamsuddeen Bala Mohammed, the son of Bauchi State Governor, criticised Seyi’s initiative, urging him to roll-out sustainable empowerment programs.
He wrote, “Please, when coming to Bauchi for the #RHYE, empower our youths with employment, Keke NAPEP, monies to start a business, ICT infrastructure and training for crypto trading, and so on.
“Please, we, the youths of Bauchi, don’t need rice and food in nylon bags during Ramadan.
“Teach our youths how to fish rather than feed them for one day. They are not beggars,” he added.
While Seyi is yet to visit other core northern states, his palliative had reportedly arrived in Gombe State.
In a video seen by Daily Trust, some angry youths were seen carting away cartons of food items from a truck parked by the roadside.
The youths were seen throwing the items to those on the ground who eagerly collected and made away with them.
Items in the cartons included rice, sugar, oil, salt and pasta.
Two trucks containing 3,500 cartons of the above items were said to have been allocated to Gombe.
While the contents of one truck had been reportedly distributed, the other truck was intercepted and its contents emptied by angry youths.
While Seyi’s visits to the north have been described as Ramadan outreach and the Renewed Hope Youth Engagement initiative, many observers see them as a calculated political move to strengthen his father’s presence in the region, where some resistance to the latter’s re-election bid is emerging.
There are rumours that those who were not carried along in the distribution exercise, which earlier took place at the state APC Secretariat, sabotaged the other part of the programme.
The APC did not respond to inquiry on the development.
