They’re on a witch-hunting adventure to fulfil the political interests of their sponsors – SOKAPU spokesman
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The donation of N200 million by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Kaduna State has pitted some stakeholders against the leadership of the Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU).
Governor Wike, while on a campaign tour of Kaduna in February last year as a presidential aspirant of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) made a donation of N200 million, out of which N120 million was shared to Southern Kaduna through SOKAPU, the northern part of the state receiving a share of N80 million.
However, a group under the auspices of Concerned Southern Kaduna Journalists (CSKJ) has accused SOKAPU of misappropriating N60 million out of the N120 million.
The group led by five Journalists from the region, Ango Bally, Abayo Gandu, Sunday Isuwa, Israel Bulus, and Bomba Dauda alleged that SOKAPU expended only N24 million on the IDPs in the zone.
Reacting, SOKAPU Spokesman of SOKAPU, Luka Binniyat waved the concerned Journalists with a pinch of salt, saying: “They are on a witch-hunting adventure to fulfil the political interests of their sponsors.”
The five Journalists in a joint statement said, “When the IDPs across Southern Kaduna received the news in February that they were to be given N120m out of the total of N200M, their joy knew no bounds. But the wild jubilation that accompanied Gov. Wike’s N120M charity was short-lived, after the Jonathan Asake-led SOKAPU, against the wish of the IDPs, bought and shared them relief materials instead of what they opted for: building materials, farming inputs, and start-up grants for petty businesses.
“Having toured the 7 local governments that were severely affected by recurring attacks, interfaced and had interviews with some of the coordinators of some of the IDPs, it became evident that the items distributed by SOKAPU were not commensurate with the N60 Million expended by the previous management of SOKAPU.
“When the coordinators of the IDPs were asked about the N120M donation by Wike, they didn’t hide their grievances while also condemning what they termed ‘misappropriation’ of the said funds.
“As part of our findings and in the principle of balancing report, we interviewed Barr. Dio Maisamari, the Acting SOKAPU President. He said about half of the N120 million was expended by the outgoing president, Jonathan Asake. That is, about N60 million was purportedly expended on the purchase of Rice, Beans, Gari, Maize, Macaroni, Spaghetti, Sugar, Salt, Indomie noodles, Maggi, Soap, Vaseline, Vegetable Oil, Pampers, Sanitary Wares, and transportation. However, the puzzle lies in the number of IDPs, the total number of displaced persons in the camps, and the number of items distributed to these IDPs.
“Following the refusal of SOKAPU to form the Local Government Sharing Committees as recommended by the PDP chairman and the total lack of transparency in handling the Wike N120M funds, two letters of complaint were written by the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Kajuru, and Chikun branches respectively. They were addressed and issued to the Chairman, People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Hon. Hassan Felix Hyat. The Kajuru LG CAN branch expressed their concern and we quote: “It was announced that the total sum of 200 million Naira was donated to our IDPs. Out of the said amount, JNI was given the sum of 80 Million while 120 Million Naira was given to SOKAPU, and nothing was given to CAN. A letter from PDP Kaduna State Chapter was addressed to CAN Kaduna State giving their local government chapters the mandate to monitor and supervise the distribution of the money which in reality was never given to CAN.”
“A separate letter by the CAN Chikun branch, which was equally addressed to the Chairman, PDP, Kaduna State, stated: “The Executive Governor of Rivers State, Dr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, during his visit to Kaduna State, donated the sum of N200 Million Naira as an Intervention Fund to help reduce the suffering of IDPs and distressed communities in Kaduna State and later shared to stakeholders in the state for onward distribution to the affected people and communities for which you sent a letter to Kaduna State chapter of CAN confirming that N15 Million Naira has been given to Chikun Local Government Area also mandating the Local Government CAN to monitor the onward distribution to displaced persons in Chikun LGA and the member representing Chikun/Kajuru Constituency confirmed that the said money is with SOKAPU.”
“The worrying state of the displaced and traumatised people among us is the motivation behind this investigative work. As the conscience of society, every journalist has a duty to rise above board to unravel the truth about anything that is of great concern to society especially as it affects the well-being of the internally displaced among us.
“We have a duty to hold leaders to account for their actions and inactions while holding public trust. While our team made efforts to get Asake’s own side of the story, he instead directed our team to speak with the acting President, Dio Maisamari, noting that he is no longer the president of SOKAPU.
”It is our considered opinion, therefore, that given the facts from available records and oral sources, Mr Asake and his team have questions to answer; their refusal to set up local government committees or involve CAN branches, other community leaders and other stakeholders in the management of the relief funds as directed by the State PDP Chairman; the failure to oblige to the requests by the IDPs themselves base on priority needs, such as building materials, farming inputs, and micro-capital for women and youths and; NOT food items, and most disappointingly, the inability of the union to justify the about half of the N120 million purportedly spent by the Asake leadership on food and sanitary pads, is, to say the least, an indictment on Mr Asake and his team.
“It is instructive to note, that the cost of the overall items distributed to each IDP Camp, records of which we obtained in the course of our investigation, going by their market value as at that time, cannot be up to 40% of the about N60 million Asake or SOKAPU claimed to have expended while he held sway as the union’s president, hence, our resolve to write this report.
“This investigative report was conducted between August and September 2022 and as at the time of its release, the current SOKAPU President, Mr Awemi Dio Maisamari, had been suspended from office for sometimes as part of allegations concerning the misappropriation of the balanced N60 million handed over to his leadership by Asake. He was just recently recalled back to the office, while the SOKAPU leadership is yet to conclude the investigation on the matter”. The group stated.
But SOKAPU in a swift reaction through its Spokesman, Luka Binniyat said: “It is a very big dishonour and grave danger to the noble profession of journalism when politicians induce reporters and they proceed on witch-hunting to fulfil the political interests of their sponsors.
“However, one thing that stands out in the sponsored report, unfortunately for the “Concern Journalists” is that procurements and distribution to the tune of N60m were made by SOKAPU under the tenure of Hon Jonathan Asake, now the gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party for Kaduna State.
“The report also affirmed that Asake left N60 million in the coffers of SOKAPU and handed it over to Mr Dio Maisamari, who was confirmed as the new President of SOKAPU.
“What all the winding report is trying to establish is whether the amount spent on the so-called procurement was actually up to N60 million and who and who got what?
“For the records, under the leadership of Asake, SOKAPU ran a transparent, accountable and committed service to the people of Southern Kaduna. The Wike’s fund is actually a microscopic amount to deploy into meaningful intervention when you consider that we have 245 communities in 7 LGAs ravaged and displaced since 2016. We have an estimated 150,000 IDPs. It is not possible to make each of them happy with N60m.
“Asake actually made procurements and reached out to the IDPs in some affected areas of Southern Kaduna.
“Asake was a compassionate and dedicated leader of SOKAPU who even turned SOKAPU into more of a humanitarian organisation than a socio-cultural one. His upbringing and philosophy to life will never allow him to misuse or embezzle in whole or in part money meant for IDPs.”