Hundreds of women in Katsina State that were to benefit from the N10 billion Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) micro-grant have been ripped off, which draws the ire of Governor Aminu Masari.

The women were shortchanged by those selected to distribute the monies across the 34 councils of the state. Masari warned that government would not tolerate politicians, civil servants and traditional rulers who siphon monies disbursed as empowerment packages.He was speaking on Saturday evening in Malumfashi Council when Aminu Ibrahim representing the area in the House of Assembly was disbursing N5,000 each to select 1,000 women.

ADF had on January 23, 2020 launched distribution of N34 million in micro-grant to 34,000 vulnerable women across the state. Each beneficiary was expected to get N10,000.

The N34 million is part of the foundation’s nation-wide empowerment of vulnerable women, as N10 billion had been set aside for the purpose.But those assigned to distribute the monies reportedly underpaid the women.

The governor said his government received disturbing reports of extortion during the disbursement in the state.According to him, the report indicated that some of the women received N8,000 each, some N6,000, while others got as low as N1,000 each. He warned that government would take necessary action against those found wanting in distributing empowerment packages to the less-privileged.

Expressing hope that the empowerment package in Malumfashi would not suffer the same fate in the hands of those assigned to disburse the monies, he described the empowerment of women with the grant as a right decision. The former House of Representatives speaker called on the beneficiaries to use the monies to engage in trades and related venture, to improve their economic fortune.

•Text (excluding headline) courtesy of The Guardian.