Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has suffered severe criticism over the subsidy of Hajj fares for intending pilgrims from the state.
Yusuf paid N500,000 for each Kano intending pilgrim who will perform this year’s Hajj under the umbrella of the Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board.
This was disclosed in a news briefing on Wednesday by the Director General of the Board, Alhaji Lamin Dan Baffa.
Baffa stated that the Kano State Government decided to subsidize the fares based on the recent increase in Hajj fares by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, which was attributed to the instability of the forex exchange rate.
Reacting to the news, a social media influencer, identified as Boss Z. Mustapha, berated the Kano state governor over “how he chooses to spend taxpayers’ money.”
In a statement on X on Thursday, Mustapha lamented that the Kano state governor takes no caution in bringing his “misplaced priorities” to the fore.
While noting that the N1.5 billion subsidy for Hajj could be used to clean the dirty environs of the state, Mustapha also stated that the funds can also be used to equip schools in the state.
Furthermore, he added that “if it was necessary to spend that amount of money,” it is “better to spend it towards the welfare of the common man?”
Mustapha’s statement reads, “With each passing day, I get to somewhat understand the southerners’ frustration towards the north.
“Let’s face it, appointing RMK’s son as a commissioner is not an issue as he is a Kano citizen, and the same red-hat mob that criticized Ganduje for involving his capable family in Kano State’s affairs is now defending Abba’s act, so we’ll let the dog lick its vomit.
“The real issue with Abba Kabir Yusuf now is how he chooses to spend taxpayer money.
“Recall how he used a whopping sum for Ramadan feeding. Now, it’s a staggering 1.5 billion naira for the Hajj subsidy.
“How can you pay N1.5 billion as a subsidy for people going to Hajj? Does someone who has N6.4m to go for Hajj need help? N1.5 billion is half of Kano State’s monthly internally generated revenue (IGR).
“The FAAC allocation we receive from the FG (over 13b) is almost 5 times our IGR, and our state governor would rather channel it into some useless stuff.
“Do you now understand why it could hurt some Southerners? Seeing the money gotten off your oil proceeds being channeled to northern states, some governors have the most misplaced priorities of all time.
“What about the hygiene of Kano? Have you seen how dirty Kano has been recently? What about our below-standard schools and out-of-school children? Do you know how many students sit on the floor to take lessons?
“Do you know how many schools you can equip with chairs and desks for that amount? What about the condition of our healthcare facilities? What about the poor people whom he claims to love?
“If it were necessary to spend that amount of money, is it not better to spend it towards the welfare of the common man? It’s really sad because this man is competing to make it to the top of the flop governors’ list with Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto.
“You claim that the previous administration was incompetent and that you guys would turn Kano into a world-class city; what’s stopping you guys now that you have all the resources at your disposal?
“The red hat mob wanted the public to believe that Abba is the second coming of Yar Adua, but the truth is, he’s more like the second coming of Masari if you ask me.
“At this point, the people of Kano State have entered one-chance territory and can only pray for divine intervention.”
