A viral photo showing Abdulhamid Yahaya Abba, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North East Region), distributing water from a tanker in Bauchi Local Government Area has ignited widespread criticism online.
The distribution, which took place on Friday, featured a banner mounted on the tanker that read: “Water Distribution Among Communities in Bauchi LGA by SSA to the President on Community Engagement, North East Region.” Residents were seen lining up with buckets and containers to collect water.
The gesture, intended as a form of community support, was quickly met with backlash from Nigerians who viewed it as an inadequate and short-sighted approach to a persistent problem.
Many social media users questioned why a presidential aide would resort to such a temporary solution instead of facilitating long-term infrastructure like boreholes or water facilities that would ensure consistent access to clean water.
Social Media Reactions:
@Daisyle: “Instead of him to drill a borehole for the community.”
@Mindlog: “The guy is a clown. He even printed a banner and hung it on the tanker! A whole SSA to the President, yet no borehole?”
@Franchasng: “’Tinubu till 2091’—I’m shocked. Nigerians must get sense by fire by force.”
@Racoon: “Politicians have really weaponised poverty.”
@Press9jatv: “This is bad. Why can’t he drill boreholes in the community?”
@Nedu666: “And he printed a banner for that? He should have added a canopy and red carpet too.”
While the aide has yet to publicly respond to the backlash, the incident has fueled broader conversations about governance, accountability, and the need for sustainable development solutions across Nigerian communities.
