The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Kaduna State has alleged the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Hon Jonathan Asake, misappropriated funds donated by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Southern Kaduna.
The PDP state chairman, Felix Hassan Hyat, claimed that Asake, while serving as the national president of the Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU), under his leadership handed over millions with specifications and local governments the money should be shared but that part of the money was blewed by Asake’s led leadership without meaningful impact to the the IDPs.
But, in a swift reaction, the Labour Party candidate said the PDP state chairman was out to tarnish his image because of his chances of winning the elections.
Asake, who responded to the allegation through his spokesman, Mr. James Swam, said the fund was sent to SOKAPU and not PDP, adding that the party cannot dictate to the union on how the funds should be used.
Hyat during a radio interview on Salama Radio, Kafanchan and lnvicta 98.9 FM, Kaduna, monitored by our correspondent over the weekend, accused Asake of misappropriating part of the N120 million meant for the IDPs in Southern Kaduna when he was SOKAPU’s president.
Hyat said the money was donated by the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.
It would be recalled that Governor Wike, following the incessant killings in some parts of Kaduna, especially in Birnin Gwari and Southern Kaduna, donated the sum of N200 million to be shared in order to assuage the sufferings of the victims.
The PDP under Hyat found out that there were over 25,000 lDPs in Southern Kaduna region who suffered attacks over the years.
Hyat disclosed that out of the N200 million, SOKAPU, through Asake, received the sum of N120 million because of the peculiarity of the attacks in Southern Kaduna region while other parts of the state got N80 million through the Jama’atul Nasir lslam (JNI).
According to Hyat, a detailed template was given by the PDP under his leadership on how the money should be shared among the affected Local Government Areas based on the quantum of the attacks they suffered but that Asake as President of SOKAPU assumed the responsibility of buying relieve materials for the IDPs without much impact.
Hyat explained that while the JNI complied with the template given to them by the PDP in how to share the money to the affected communities, SOKAPU under Asake flagrantly refused to follow the template for their selfish reasons.
“Rather, they formulated a sharing formula that was not inclusive,” Hyat said, adding that SOKAPU under Asake refused to carry along the stakeholders that were captured in the template, but spent the sum of N60 million for the purchase of sundry relief materials, contrary to the priority needs of the IDPs.
“Leaders should be able to be transparent, just and fair when they’re in a position of power, particularly when it has to do with the less privileged, “ Hyat said.
Speaking on the forthcoming general elections, Hyat urged the electorates in Southern Kaduna to come out en masse and vote for PDP in order to restore their hope and sanity.
Reacting to the allegations, the spokesman to the Labour Party LP, gubernatorial Candidate, Mr. James Swam, said the PDP state chairman and his cohorts were out to tarnish Asake’s reputation because of his chances of winning the elections
He explained that the money was sent to SOKAPU not PDP and there was no way PDP would give a template to SOKAPU.
“All these allegations are false and mischief to tarnish the image of Hon. Jonathan Asake who is winning the forthcoming elections.”
Credit: Leadership