Baylesa Begins Distribution Of Palliatives.

 

Bayelsa State government has began the distribution of Federal Government food palliatives donated to the state governments, few days to the national protest against hardship and bad governance in the country.

President Bola Tinubu had recently directed that 24 thousand bags of rice be donated to the 36 state government and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to assuage the suffering of Nigerians.

Speaking during the distribution of the items at a private warehouse in Yenagoa on Monday, Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Mrs Ebiuwou Koku Obiyai, said governor Douye Diri has already directed that the items be given to vulnerable persons in all the political wards in the state.

She said the state received 20 trucks of rice, totalling 24 thousand bags of 25kg rice from the Federal Government for distribution to the vulnerable people.

He said: “We are distributing today rice and garri, we received 20 trucks of rice from the Federal Government, that is about 24 thousand bags of rice, that is 25kg each.

“We are distributing based on each  senatorial district, today, we are doing central senatorial district, we are giving it to three local governments of Yenagoa, Southern Ijaw and Kolokuma/Opokuma LGAs, tomorrow, we are distributing to Bayelsa East, that is Brass, Nembe and Ogbia LGAs, tomorrow by Wednesday, we are doing for Bayelsa West, Sagbama and Ekeremor LGAs.

“The food items we are distributing, they are meant for the less privileged, vulnerable groups in the society, the governor has directed that no political appointee should take this food, no elected officer and the civil servants are exempted, it is people that have no jobs, the core vulnerable groups and those are the people that should get this food. 

“The sharing is done per ward, each ward will have 190 bags of 25kg of rice, and 30 bags of garri. The state government will complement the food items received from the Federal Government, so after now, there will be more distribution, the governor has been doing right from time.

“Government is strictly monitoring the distribution at the ward level to guide against diversion." She said.

Governor Douye Diri, had earlier on Monday directed for immediate distribution of rice palliatives from the Federal Government to rural communities in the state, stating that no political appointee or civil servant should benefit from it. 

Speaking during the 34th State Security Council meeting on Monday, said the bags of rice should not be shared on party basis.

He said: “This rice has no PDP face, has no APC face. It’s for every Bayelsan. No one should play politics with the distribution”, Gov. Diri stated this today in his opening remarks at the commencement of the 34th State Security Council meeting.

Chairman of Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr Walaman Sam Igrubia, said all critical stakeholders from each local government are involved in the sharing to avoid diversion.

Governor has directed that all critical stakeholders in the local government should be involved in the distribution, these items is for the vulnerable, people that cannot afford a good meal for the day.

We are setting up a committee to monitor the distribution of the food items, and if we find out that any government functionary taken any part of these palliatives for himself, the governor will frown at it seriously.