Senator Rufai Hanga, representing Kano Central Senatorial District, has reportedly donated 5,000 pieces of white fabric and clay pots to his constituents.
The donation, according to Premium Times, is reportedly intended to help with the burial process for loved ones, in response to the frequent requests for burial assistance from constituents.
The medium reports that Dawuud Auwal, one of Hanga’s social media aides, announced the donations on Facebook.
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.
The donation has generated divergent views 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.
“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?
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“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.”
Grassroots Parrot cannot officially verify whether the gesture was part of the Senator’s official constituency project or a personal donation.
Several attempts by our correspondent to reach out to the Senator was not successful as a telephone line of his media aide was switched off as at the time of filing this report on Sunday.