Senator Rufai Hanga, representing Kano Central senatorial district of Kano State in the Senate, has responded to criticisms over his recent donation of 2,000 clay pots and 10,500 yards of white cloth to Muslim graveyards across his constituency.
Speaking at a press conference, Senator Hanga clarified that the contributions were personal gestures aimed at honouring a family tradition, and not his constituency projects as being erroneously bandied around.
Senator Hanga, a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Deputy Minority Chief Whip of the 10th Senate, emphasised that his donations were intended to please God and seek His eternal reward.
“This has been a legacy that I grew up with and inherited. It’s a practice I hope to sustain for as long as I live,” Hanga stated.
The donations, which were distributed last week across 15 local government areas in the Kano Central senatorial zone, had drawn significant attention and some negative feedback from netizens, who claimed the gesture was a misuse of public funds.
However, Hanga was quick to refute the claims, asserting, “These materials were not part of any constituency project, but a personal initiative I have been committed to, even before my election.”
Senator Hanga also detailed the practical needs the donations meet, explaining that the clay pots are crucial for maintaining the graveyards, a need that had been identified by the Kano State Committee for the Graveyards.
“We had found out that clay pots were lacking in most of our graveyards and decided to donate,” he explained, noting that the committee is chaired by Dangoribar Kano and the District Head of Tarauni in the Kano Emirate.
