Photos and videos of the so-called empowerment programme surfaced online on Wednesday.
Professor Okorie Ani, the Senator representing Ebonyi South Senatorial District, has stirred controversy after distributing cooking pots to his constituents as “empowerment” items.
Photos and videos of the so-called empowerment programme surfaced online on Wednesday.
They showed Senator Ani handing over shiny, brand-new pots to a gathered crowd. The images quickly went viral on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), drawing a wave of criticism and mockery.
“Ebonyi South Senator, Prof. Okorie Ani Spotted Empowering his constituents with brand new pots,” an X user, Chuks, captioned a post that set off the storm.
Reactions came in torrents.
One user, Christian C. (@omorogiec), fumed: “Do they do these things intentionally? Transistor radio, Okada tyres, cooking pots, etc. Is this how their constituents will truly get empowered?”
Another, Grind & Charts (@grind_charts), delivered a scathing rebuke: “They give the people pots, then steal the firewood, gas, and food. This isn’t empowerment—it’s mockery in high resolution.”
Nedu Brave (@nedubrave) added: “Sometimes I wonder if they’re doing these things intentionally, because why are you using pots to empower your constituents? And they welcomed him with open arms. Omo.”
This incident is just the latest in a long list of performative empowerment schemes by Nigerian politicians, who often distribute trivial items like wheelbarrows, hair dryers, and transistor radios in the name of constituency development, while larger issues such as poverty, education, healthcare, and infrastructure remain unaddressed.
For instance, in December 2020, donkeys in Kano and cassava stems in Anambra were also given to Nigerians as part of the government’s economic empowerment efforts.
Although such “shamefaced empowerment”, as some critics call it, is not new, politicians now up the ante with more ridiculous and bizarre items.
The usual items had included tricycles, motorcycles, and grinding machines, but pure water sachets and shoe-shining starter kits have now made the cut.
Often, the pitiable charity comes from taxpayers as federal lawmakers have covered such items under constituency projects.
An aide to the Benue State governor once distributed wheelbarrows with the inscription, “Gov Ortom for You”, arguing that the beneficiaries would use the wheelbarrows to run errands and hawk.
Later, the wheelbarrow empowerment resurfaced in Taraba as a member of the House of Representatives, Maigari Bello-Kasimu, representing Jalingo/Yorro/Zing, distributed wheelbarrows to empower some members of his constituency.
“All of them used to hire wheelbarrows and push to earn their living, but now they have the opportunity of owning their wheelbarrows,” the spokesperson for the lawmaker, Saidu Na-Anabi, had said during the presentation.
Na-Anabi’s speech probably inspired the then caretaker chairperson of Nsukka Local Government in Enugu State, Chinwe Ugwu, to give wheelbarrows to youths in the area as a form of economic empowerment.
“These are poor people who cannot afford to buy wheelbarrows but had to hire for between N200 and N300 per day,” Ugwu had said in response to critics.
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