Crisis rocks Tinubu’s North East campaign committee over N10 million mobilisation funds
Delay in the release of N10 million to members of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Contact and Mobilisation sub-committee in the North East has started raising dust.
The money meant to be shared with the members to take care of logistics and other itineraries during the presidential campaign has allegedly not been paid by the leadership of the Committee.
Some members of the Committee who spoke to our reporter on the telephone on condition of anonymity on Sunday and Monday said while their counterparts in the North West have received their own, they are yet to be paid by their Committee in the North East.
The members said, “We are members of North East Contacts and Mobilisation. We are members, we have a Director, a Deputy Director, and a Secretary. ₦10 million was allocated for members’ logistics for the campaign period in the sub-region.
“You know our work involves a lot of travelling to mobilise people to vote and other activities. We have been using our money to travel to mobilise people in the zone.
“So, the N10 million meant to be distributed to each of the members was sent to the Secretary, but they said the money was not given to them”
Speaking to our reporter on the telephone on Monday, Hajiya Sa’adatu, a leader in Tinubu Contacts and Mobilisation Committee in the North West, confirmed that members of the Committee in the sub-region have been paid.
She said the funds were disbursed promptly so that the members will continue with the work they have started and mobilise more people to vote for the APC Presidential and other candidates in the election.
She said, “I have already disbursed the funds to my members. When you are given something that belongs to other people, the best thing is to give them. The money doesn’t belong to us, we were directed to give them out to members.
“I started disbursing the funds immediately when I saw the alert. I have already set everybody’s account, so everybody was paid. There is no reason for withholding the funds. I have heard complaints about it and I even gave advise on how to go about it.
“However, I cannot go into somebody’s work, I have my own responsibility. Members of the Committee should be patient, I am sure they will be paid”.
In his reaction, Secretary of the North East Contacts and Mobilisation Committee, Honourable Isma’ila Gadaka, a former member of the House of Representatives, who spoke to Neptune Prime on the telephone said he was aware that the members are agitated about the non-payment of the funds.
He however said it was not their fault adding that, they have not received the said funds as alleged.
Gadaka said the funds would be disbursed to the members promptly as soon as they are received and called on the members to exercise patience.
He said, “I have seen that Kano has gotten what was given to them for contact and mobilisation. We have not seen our own alert yet. I have called the deputy secretary Christopher and he told me that, we should wait till Monday (tomorrow), as it may be a network issue.
“I will try and see by tomorrow, if I didn’t see it, I will call him again. We are not alone, there are other Committees that have not received. Many committees have not seen theirs. I was even surprised. To transfer money to almost 200 people, for where? Where are they heading to? This is sad.
“I told them, as soon as we see the alert, we’ll put it on our platform so that everybody should be cleared that, the funds have been received and we’ll call a meeting. For now, since we haven’t seen the alert, there is nothing we can do, because you are not paying from your personal account”.
The North East sub-committee is headed by Abubakar Kari, who is the Chief of Staff to the Gombe State Governor, as Director with Shettima Shehu and Mrs Rebecca Manasseh as Deputy Directors.
Others leaders of the Committee include; Adamu Sarma as Assistant Director and Hon. Isma’ila Gadaka as Secretary.
The rests are Ishaku Joshua Sharah and Vincent Passari as Assistant Secretaries.
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