Outrage as Anambra APGA Federal Lawmaker Empowers Constituents with Wheelbarrows, Hoes

A civic watchdog has raised alarm over the management of public funds in Aguata Federal Constituency, Anambra State, following a controversial youth empowerment initiative led by an APGA lawmaker. Civic Accountability Platform MonITNG criticized the project as a misuse of taxpayers’ money under the guise of empowerment.

The program, titled *Vocational Training and Empowerment of Selected Youths and Women of Aguata Federal Constituency* (Project Code ZIP20250444), was facilitated by Hon. Engr. Dominic Ifeanyichukwu Okafor, the Member representing Aguata Federal Constituency. It was executed through the Federal Co-operative College Oji River under the Ministry of Agriculture and had a budget of ₦36 million.

On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, the initiative was unveiled at Igboukwu Central School with the distribution of wheelbarrows, hoes, and cutlasses. MonITNG condemned the approach, arguing that such items fall far short of meaningful vocational training or tools capable of creating sustainable livelihoods.

“Empowerment should equip youths and women with modern skills such as tailoring, ICT, agro-processing, welding, or renewable energy installation, along with tools that can foster real businesses and opportunities. Instead, ₦36 million was spent on outdated implements,” the group said.

MonITNG questioned how traditional farming tools could prepare young graduates for the modern economy or provide women with lasting income. The organization warned that initiatives like this reduce empowerment programs to political handouts while leaving communities trapped in poverty.

The watchdog called on federal agencies involved, including the Federal Co-operative College Oji River and the Ministry of Agriculture, to explain their role in approving and executing the project. It stressed that public funds should be invested in programs that genuinely reduce poverty through skills training, access to markets, and innovative tools.

“Until there is transparency and genuine investment in people, millions of naira will continue to be wasted while communities like Aguata remain underdeveloped,” MonITNG said.