Governor Muhammad Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State that the state government spent 226.740 million on pregnant and lactating mothers and not N196.9 billion as reported in some sections of the media.
Newsonline reports that Governor Badaru argued that the Jigawa state budget for the 2022 fiscal year was N177 billion and could not have spent the 196.9 billion reported.
Governor Badaru who spoke through his Commissioner for Special Duties, Auwalu Sankara, said, “to set the records straight the Jigawa State government only budgeted N600,000,000 for pregnant and lactating mothers and only N226,740,800 has been disbursed so far.”
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Sankara hinted that 20 pregnant women were selected from each of the 287 political wards in the state making a total of 5,740 beneficiaries who are receiving N4,000 monthly.
”The baseless reports said, “according to Mr. Rabakaya, every 5,740 beneficiaries received 32,000, N4,000 monthly from November 2021 to June 2022, amounting to N183.68 billion.”
Auwalu questioned, “how can the figure above give you a billion Naira? surprisingly his editor who is expected to be a professional gatekeeper failed to do his or her job.”
He said, “the reporter wrote and I quote, “He added that N4 million was expended as extra charges, N688.8 million on bank charges, and N4.59 million on automated teller machines cards.”
He added, “The inconsistency and inaccuracy of the report are appalling and the way the News Agency of Nigeria’s subscribers went ahead and pick the story without any scrutiny, demonstrating the level at which journalism in our country has degenerated.”
