The Jigawa State government says it is providing daily meals for 182,700 poor and vulnerable people throughout the Muslim month of Ramadan Position: More News/North-west

The Jigawa State Commissioner for Special Duties, Auwal Sankara, came under a storm of criticism on Facebook on Monday for posting the picture of a man at a centre of the state government's public feeding programme.

The programme, coordinated by the Ministry of Special Duties, provides free meals at designated centres for less-privileged Muslims observing the month-long sunrise-to-sunset Ramadan fast.

Mr Sankara had posted the photo of an unnamed man who appears to be well known to many of the commentators as a well-to-do person who suffered a reversal of fortune and is now economically vulnerable.

Several Facebook users reacting to the post described it as an insult by Mr Sankara for projecting the feeding programme as a favour from the government to the people when it is being run with public funds.

"Stop disgracing people's parents by uploading their photos; you don't value human beings", "How can this be a government project that you are propagating?", and "One day it will be your turn to suffer the consequences", some of the commentators raged in the Hausa language.

PREMIUM TIMES reviewed about 120 comments 12 hours after Mr Sankara made his post on Monday, with the majority of the comments derogatory or angry remarks on Mr Sankara.

There had been a public backlash against the programme earlier, over allegations of irregular meals in some of the feeding centres, despite over a billion naira voted for the programme.

On Friday, Governor Umar Namadi suspended the Commissioner for Commerce, Aminu Kanta, over alleged fraud in the running of the programme.

Mr Kanta, from Babura Local Government Area, was asked to stand aside pending an investigation into the Iftar feeding programme in his LGA.

The governor said the move was part of his government's commitment to ensuring financial accountability and prudent management of public funds.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr Kanta was accused of hijacking the feeding programme in Babura LGA, with food rarely being provided at the designated centres.

The programme is being implemented through 609 feeding centres, with a focus on providing three different food items to 182,700 poor and vulnerable people daily.