"You Neglected Us When We Needed You, Now You Come When You Need Us": Backlash as AbdulRazaq Donates N10m to Residents of 5 Flood-Hit Communities

"You Neglected Us When We Needed You, Now You Come When You Need Us": Backlash as AbdulRazaq Donates N10m to Residents of 5 Flood-Hit Communities

Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, is facing a fresh wave of backlash after a belated visit to Lafiagi Emirate, NupekoTV reports, with a youth leader accusing him of abandoning the people in their darkest hours and showing up only when he needs them.

The governor visited the emirate on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, to commiserate with residents affected by the recent flooding, and announced a N10 million donation to victims in five communities: Pututa, Tswako, Likpata, Godangi and Ekko. The announcement was made at Pututa.

But the gesture has been met with anger rather than gratitude. According to many reports, the visit is the governor's first to Lafiagi since 2023, meaning the area went years without seeing its chief executive. Residents say he was nowhere to be found when banditry ravaged the area, including a day on which about 100 people were reportedly killed. It took a flood, not the killings, to bring him to the emirate.

Reacting, Mamaki Sai Soko, a youth leader from Pututa, sarcastically thanked the governor for neglecting the people when they needed him and for coming to them only when he needs them.

"You neglected us when we needed you, and now you come to us when you need us," he said.

The N10 million donation has also drawn scrutiny. Spread across five affected communities, it averages N2 million per community, a modest sum for people who have lost homes, farmland and livelihoods to the flood.

In a statement on the visit, the governor said: "Earlier today, I was in Lafiagi Emirate to comfort our people affected by the recent flooding in Pututa, Tswako, Likpata, Godangi, and Ekko communities. The development is quite saddening."

"As an immediate response from our government, we have donated the sum of N10 million to immediately support residents affected by the natural disaster. I have also directed SEMA to take inventory of the losses for support to the victims," he added.

The statement made no mention of the banditry attacks or the years of absence that residents are angry about.