Governor Dikko Umar Radda of Katsina State and a member of the House of Representatives, representing the Batagarawa/Charanchi/Rimi Federal Constituency, have come under scrutiny for allegedly distributing 3,500 bags of fertilisers intended as part of a constituency project to party supporters and close associates.
This allegation was brought to light by BudgIT Foundation, a civic-tech organization dedicated to promoting fiscal transparency and accountability across Nigeria and Africa. The revelation, shared through BudgIT’s subsidiary, TrackaNG, indicated that N100 million had been earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the procurement of fertilisers aimed at boosting agricultural productivity in the Batagarawa/Charanchi/Rimi Federal Constituency.
According to BudgIT’s findings, the fertiliser bags were branded with images of Governor Radda and the House of Representatives member, Hon. Usman Murtala Banye, in a manner that suggested the supplies were personal donations rather than public-funded projects.
TrackaNG expressed its concern on social media, stating, “Dear @dikko_radda, Hon. Usman Murtala Banye, it is a crime to deceive Nigerians by presenting public-funded projects as donations. N100 million was allocated for the supply of fertiliser to farmers in the Batagarawa/Charanchi/Rimi Federal Constituency of Katsina State in the 2024 federal budget. However, you distributed 3,500 bags of fertiliser to party loyalists and your friends, misleading the public by branding the bags with your images as though they were donations.”
The organization called on the National Animal Product Research Institute in Zaria, the agency responsible for implementing the project, to provide transparent details regarding the initiative. They also urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the possible misuse of public funds in this case.
SaharaReporters reached out to Kaula Ibrahim Mohammed, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Radda, for comments and clarifications on the matter. Mohammed stated that he was in transit and would respond in a few hours. However, at the time of this report, he had yet to respond, despite receiving a reminder from SaharaReporters.
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