A civic accountability organisation, Monitoring and Investigative Team of Nigeria (MonITNG), has raised the alarm over the “ongoing misuse” of Zonal Intervention Funds by a federal lawmaker representing Alkaleri and Kirfi Federal Constituency in Bauchi State.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the group noted that the lawmaker, Makaman Duguri of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is converting public resources meant for critical community development into personal political influence.
MonITNG said it is “deeply concerned about the ongoing misuse of Zonal Intervention Funds by a federal lawmaker who appears to be prioritising political loyalists over genuine community development.”
According to the group, “Recent events in Alkaleri and Kirfi Federal Constituency, represented by Makaman Duguri of the APC, highlight a disturbing pattern where public resources meant for critical grassroots projects are being converted into political empowerment tools.”
The organisation emphasised that Zonal Intervention Projects are fully funded by the Nigerian government and must be executed “strictly through the appropriate ministries, departments, and agencies, using accredited contractors.”
It criticised what it described as a deviation from “a lawmaker’s responsibility is to provide oversight, ensure transparency, and guarantee that citizens actually feel the impact of these projects. However, what we are seeing in this case is a complete deviation from that mandate.”
MonITNG pointed to the lawmaker’s recent “Mega Empowerment” launch, during which he distributed 20 cars, 150 motorcycles, N200 million in cash, sewing machines, bicycles for persons with disabilities, water pumps, and other items “all branded with his image and party symbols.”
The group argued that such branding, combined with the sheer scale of the items, raises “serious questions about transparency and accountability, especially when these items were funded with public money.”
One of the group’s strongest concerns is the direct handout of large cash sums to selected individuals.
“It also raises suspicion about whether the intended amounts actually reach the beneficiaries or whether the process is manipulated to reward party loyalists rather than ordinary citizens,” the statement added.
MonITNG lamented that despite the lavish empowerment scheme, many communities in the constituency remain deprived of essential services.
“Meanwhile, many communities within the constituency continue to face serious challenges: dilapidated schools without functional classrooms, health centres lacking equipment and personnel, and areas where residents still struggle to access clean water,” the group stated.
“Instead of addressing these urgent needs, Zonal Intervention Funds are being repackaged as personal gifts and political empowerment tools.”
The organisation urged anti-corruption agencies to intervene, insisting that the pattern undermines the purpose of Zonal Intervention Projects.
“We therefore call on the @icpcnigeria and @officialEFCC to investigate the handling of these funds, the procurement process, the criteria used to select beneficiaries, and the legality of branding publicly funded items with a politician’s image.”
MonITNG a warned, “Public funds must not become instruments of political influence. Citizens deserve transparent, community-driven development not patronage disguised as empowerment.”
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