Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa residents decry alleged diversion of FG’s rice palliative

Some residents of Bauchi, Gombe and Dutse have expressed concern over the alleged diversion of the Federal Government’s 20-truck rice palliative.

They also decried the hoarding and hijacking of FG’s palliatives by government and ruling party officials in the states.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the federal government has allocated 20 trucks of rice and other packages to the 36 state governments as part of palliative measures to cushion the rising cost of living in the country.

The FG’s palliative include food items, inputs and cash grants to the vulnerable as well as the introduction of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles, to check hikes in transport fares and ease the movement of goods and services.

A cross-section of Nigerians who spoke in separate interviews with NAN in Bauchi, Gombe and Dutse, alleged diversion of the FG’s palliative by the respective state governments.

In Dutse, the Jigawa capital, the residents accused political leaders of the diversion of palliative meant for vulnerable and poor families.

Alhaji Muhammadu Hamza accused the state officials saddled with the responsibilities of distributing the palliative only to their supporters.

“We did not receive any item after symbolic distribution of the palliative by the government officials,” he said.

Malam Musa Ali and Hajiya Maimuna, also accused government officials of serious neglect in the management of the palliative, to cushion the hardship being experienced by the people.

“Our governor is a God-fearing man, we knew that the problem is from fraudulent officials seeking to enrich themselves at the detriment of the vulnerable and poor families,” Hamza said.

Shuaibu Kafingana, the Chairman of Jigawa State Social Protection Platform (JISOP), lauded President Bola Tinubu and Gov. Umar Namadi for providing food assistance to 28,000 persons in the state.

He also expressed dismay over the shortchanging of the vulnerable in the palliative distribution exercise.

He advocated for an open process to ensure transparency and equity in the palliative distribution exercise in the state.

In Bauchi State, the delays in the distribution of FG’s rice have sent tongues wagging among desperate residents expecting the food palliative to assuage their sufferings.

Malam Sani Muazu, a resident of Bauchi, said they had not received the rice allocated to the state by the federal government.

He said the delays in the distribution of palliative worsen the food crisis facing the vulnerable and poor households in the state.

Mu’azu urged the state government to begin distribution of the FG’s rice in earnest, to cushion the effect of the rising cost of living.

Commenting, a senior official of the Bauchi State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said the state was yet to receive its allocation of the FG’s rice.

According to the official, apart from the FG’s intervention, the state government has been distributing palliatives received from agencies and other donors.