Senator Rufai Hanga, representing Kano Central Senatorial District, donated 5,000 pieces of white fabric and clay pots to his constituents.

The donation is reportedly intended to help with the burial process for loved ones, in response to the frequent requests for burial assistance from constituents.

Premium Times reports that Dawuud Auwal, one of Hanga’s social media aides, announced the donations on Facebook, though the specific post was unable to locate during check.

Auwal reportedly wrote, “We are used to these frequent requests from people soliciting money to buy white cloths and clay pots. Some have requested vehicles for transporting the dead.”

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The senator, whose district covers 15 Local Government Areas, is an accountant who has been representing Kano Central since 2023, on the platform New Nigeria Peoples Party.

The Senator’s gesture is said to be in line with the traditional Muslim burial customs observed in the North.

White fabric is traditionally used to wrap the deceased, followed by broken clay pots as the initial covering before burial in sand.

While the donation has garnered positive reactions, it has also sparked some negative feedback on social media platforms.

A pro-Hausa organisation, which uses the handle @VoiceofHausa, said, “This is a constituency project of Sen. Rufa’i Sani Hanga, Senator representing Kano Central.

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“Instead of building hospitals, he distributed 5,000 pots and white cloths for the burial of the people of his senatorial District.”

SILAS TAFI-WARWAR, tweeting as @silastafi, said, “I don’t understand…. Is he wishing them dead or something?

“What is the rationale behind this gift or donation? Constituency project or something?

“In the face of hunger, serious hardship and unemployment! This is all He can do?”

A tweep, FAISAL, who identifies as @Iamumarfaisal, said, “This should be his personal assistance to his community as an influential and wealthy person. But making this look [like] a performance index being a Senator is shameless and denigrates the people he represents. We can do better Arewa.”

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has filed a lawsuit against the governors of the 36 states of the Federation, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over their failure to account for, and publish the agreements of the N5.9 trillion and $4.6 billion loans obtained by their states and the FCT, respectively.

The suit, numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/592/2024 was filed on Friday on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers – Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Valentina Adegoke, at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The statement, which was made available to newsmen on Sunday, asked the court to “direct and compel the governors and Mr. Wike to account for N5.9trn and $4.6bn loans obtained by their states and the FCT and to publish copies of the loan agreements, location of projects executed with the loans.”

The suit is a sequel to SERAP’s demand which was addressed to the 37 respondents in a statement issued by the organisation’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare on March 31, 2024.

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Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, had bemoaned the huge debt inherited from his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai, on May 29, 2023.

Sani said the state is now left with few amounts, not enough to pay salary, adding that his administration inherited a total of $587m, N85bn and 115 contract liabilities from the ex-governor.

In the statement, SERAP urged the court to “direct and compel the governors and Mr. Wike to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to investigate the spending of all the loans obtained to date by their states and the FCT.”

In the suit, SERAP is arguing that “it is in the public interest to grant the reliefs sought. Nigerians have the right to see and scrutinise the loan agreements and know the details of how the domestic and external loans obtained by the governors and FCT minister are spent.

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“Opacity in the spending of the loans obtained by the governors and Mr. Wike would continue to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens.”

The statement noted that many states, including the FCT, “reportedly” spend “public funds which may include the loans obtained by them to fund unnecessary travels, buy exotic and bulletproof cars and generally fund the lavish lifestyles of politicians,” adding that they are “allegedly mismanaging public funds which may include domestic and external loans obtained from bilateral and multilateral institutions and agencies.”

The organisation demanded transparency in the spending of the loans as they are “fundamental to increase accountability, prevent corruption, and build trust in democratic institutions with the ultimate aim of strengthening the rule of law.”

The statement equally noted that the state governors and the FCT minister “cannot hide under the excuse that the Freedom of Information Act is not applicable to their states and the FCT.”

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It stated that the “legal obligations to publish the information sought are also imposed by the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”

While no date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit, SERAP lamented that the poverty rate, underdevelopment and lack of access to public goods and services in the country are a result of the “many years of allegations of corruption and mismanagement of public funds including the loans obtained by the states and FCT.”

SERAP quoted the Debt Management Office, saying, “The total public domestic debt portfolio for the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory is N5.9 trillion. The total public external debt portfolio is $4.6 billion.”

However, SERAP said that the loans – domestic and external, as obtained by the states and the FCT are” vulnerable to corruption and mismanagement,” hence, the respondents “have a responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in how any loans obtained by the states and FCT are spent, to reduce vulnerability to corruption and mismanagement.”

DStv and GOtv customers in Nigeria have been notified to expect disruption in service from Sunday, May 5, to Tuesday, May 7, due to the ongoing construction project on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

In a notice shared on social media on Friday, DStv assured customers that its technical team will be working to relocate its facility and minimise service disruptions during the process.

The statement read, “Our uplink facility will be impacted by the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road construction project. As a result, we are forced to relocate.

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“From Sunday, May 5, 2024 to Tuesday May 7, 2024, our technical team will be working tirelessly to relocate and minimise disruptions during the exercise.

“We appreciate your patience and understanding during this period and remain dedicated to delivering the quality service and support you expect from DStv and GOtv.”

The PUNCH reports that demolition for the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway commenced on Monday.

According to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, the duration of the construction is eight years, and it will be constructed for N15trn.