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MAHEMA CEO Debunks Bibi Dogo’s Allegation, Says NGO Not For APC Alone
By Najib Sani, Bauchi
The management of a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) in Bauchi state known as ‘Mayaka Health and Education Mobilization Association’ (MAHEMA) has reacted to the allegation by a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi state Alhaji Bibi Dogo, that the organization is being funded by the Minister of Humanitarian affairs Sadiya Umar Faruq and renders assistance to only the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Dogo who made the allegation in a viral article on the social media alleged that the minister embarked on gubernatorial campaign for her husband, the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar by pumping resources to the NGO to distribute items to the people in the state who are allegedly in the camp of the governorship aspirant.
But in a swift reaction via a press release, issued to our correspondent over the weekend, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MAHEMA, Alhaji Aminu S. Abubakar, debunked the insinuation describing it as a fiction.
According to him, MAHEMA is a non profit, non governmental, non religious and non political organization created with the objective of empowering women and youth, improving maternal and child health and rising the educational status of vulnerable children in the state.
He explained that the NGO was established since 1999 and had been rendering charity services to all the needy irrespective of their religious or political inclinations.
Buttressing his points further, Aminu noted that MAHEMA had partnered with many organizations including UNICEF, CEDPA, World Bank and Turkish embassy among others to execute social welfare programs in communities within the state.
“MAHEMA activities are purely humanitarian services with focus on the areas of health, education, women/youth empowerment, environmental climate change and peace and conflict resolution.
“It is in this regards and respect and considering the performance of MAHEMA and its track record, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development considered MAHEMA as one of the credible NGOs to work with in Bauchi state in providing humanitarian services.
“Therefore, the existing partnership between the ministry and MAHEMA is made since before the gubernatorial aspirant Rtd. Air Marshall in Bauchi state,” he clarified.
On the method of selecting the beneficiaries for interventions, the NGO said it engaged community and religious leaders to identify the deserving persons in their domains.