Osun State government says it has not received the any Rice palliative from the Federal Government.
Addressing newsmen in Osogbo, the government delegation led by the Secretary to the COVID-19 Food and Relief Committee, Chief Bayo Jimoh cautioned those peddling rumours to be wary of the danger of misinformation.
Correspondent, Adenitan Akinola completes the story.
Adenitan Akinola
Ekiti State Government says all COVID palliatives donated to the state have been distributed.
This is contained in a Press Release by the Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation, Mr Akinbowale Omole
TEXT
PRESS RELEASE
NO COVID-19 PALLIATIVES LEFT IN EKITI STATE, NO PALLIATIVES WAREHOUSE
The attention of the Government of Ekiti State has been drawn to plans by some hoodlums to storm some warehouses in the state under the guise of looking for Covid-19 palliatives believed to be stored in warehouses in the state.
The Government would like to state categorically that ALL palliatives donated to the state have been successfully distributed to various categories of residents including
16 Local Government areas in the State (collected by LG teams), Senior Citizens, Market Women, Various associations (Unions, women’s groups, artisans, etc),Youth groups, NGOs, Widows, Churches, Mosques, Landlord Associations, Community Leaders, Traditional Rulers, Transport Unions, State orphanages and special schools, Communities in Farmsteads, Security Officers and other vulnerable persons during the lockdown period.
These facts can be verified from all the beneficiary groups listed.
We therefore caution those involved in the plan to desist from any attempt to invade any location under the guise of looking for COVID-19 palliatives in Ekiti State.
Government has a responsibility to protect citizens’ lives and property and will not condone any brigandage in any part of the state.
Signed:
Mr Akinbowale Omole
Honourable Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation
Osun State Government has cleared air on the COVID-19 palliatives looted from a ware today.
The clarification is contained in a Press Release by the Secretary, Osun Food and Relief Committee, Alhaji. Bayo Jimoh.
TEXT
Ede Warehouse Attack: Putting the Records Straight
We are in receipt of information that the Warehouse in Ede, where we kept the relief materials donated to the Osun Food and Relief Committee by the Private Sector Coalition Against Covid-19 (CACOVID), has been attacked and food items carted away.
It has therefore become imperative to put the records straight in view of the falsehood and the misinformation making the rounds about the donated relief items.
One, it is not true that the food items were hoarded.
Two, the food items have no direct bearing with the State Government, as they are within the purview of the Food and Relief Committee.
Three, the items can only be distributed after a formal flag-off by the CACOVID Office, Abuja.
Four, we do not have the authority to distribute the food items without approval from Abuja.
Besides, the Committee is still expecting the rice component of the donated items, which is 40, 230 bags of 5kg.
All these are part of the reasons the items were still in the warehouse up till the time of the invasion.
The following items were donated: Pasta FMN – 29, 992; Pasta OLAM -10, 282; Noodles- 80, 644; Garri -40, 322; Salt- 40, 320; and Sugar – 40, 227.
However, the rice components of the donated items are yet to be delivered up until now.
The Committee wrote to CACOVID as recently as September 28, 2020, reminding it of the rice component, which is yet to be delivered.
Part of the letter reads: “I wish to refer to our letter on the above subject and wish to request for the recent update on the rice component expected to have been delivered to the State, and also to seek your advice on the exact time the State should expect delivery, considering the fact that items already received into the Warehouse are food materials and are perishable with limited shelve lives.
“May I recall in our previous discussions that the delay experienced is due to increase in cost of rice and delivery, that the amount paid to suppliers could no longer cover cost of purchase and delivery to Osun. “
However, up until this moment, we are yet to receive response from CACOVID.
This is the truth about the status of the donated relief items until their unfortunate looting.
Signed:
Alh. Bayo Jimoh
Secretary, Osun Food and Relief Committee
The President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, Mr Honour Sirawoo has applauded the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, on the transparent manner it disbursed the COVID-19 palliative package from FIFA, CAF and other sponsors.
Mr Sirawoo who expressed delight at the 11,580,000, eleven million, five hundred and eighty thousand Naira that was earmarked for SWAN said the NFF was meticulous in ensuring that all the stakeholders in Nigerian football were duly captured.
He further noted that the gesture will in no small way enhance the cordial working relationship between the NFF and other stakeholders especially SWAN, even as he urged all the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the grant.
“The leadership of the NFF has displayed a very high degree of transparency in the manner it handled the COVID-19 palliatives from its various sponsors by ensuring that all the stakeholders in the football development chain were captured.”
“We in SWAN are particularly happy because this recognition will go a long way in ameliorating the impact of the pandemic which has slowed down the economic activities of the country.”
“We thank the President of the NFF, Amaju Pinnick and members of his Board for this well-thought and timely gesture; our members have gone through various degrees of pains following the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, we say thank you NFF” he declared.”
The SWAN President also assured that he will ensure that all the members of the association in its 37 state chapters were given their due from the amount.”
He also urged the NFF to continue to work assiduously in its quest to enhance the development of football in the country “because football has remained one factor that has over the years held Nigerians together”.
Olaolu Fawole
Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde has flagged-off the third phase of the distribution of palliatives to persons living with disabilities.
Performing the symbolic presentation of the palliatives at the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Ibadan, Governor Makinde said COVID-19 palliatives distribution which cut across the state would benefit registered persons with disabilities.
Governor Makinde stressed that the era impersonators taking what belongs to persons with disabilities had gone in the state.
Earlier, the Executive Assistant on Disability Matters to the governor, Mr Ayodele Adekanmbi was committed to rallying every interest group among persons with disabilities in the state.
Some of the beneficiaries lauded Governor Makinde’s government for its kind gesture and identifying with persons living with disabilities.
It would be recalled that Oyo State government had earlier distributed palliatives consisting of food items to 90,000 of poorest of the poor and seedlings to 10,000 farmers in the state.
Iyabo Adebisi
Oyo state government has concluded the distribution of pallatives to the 90,000 poorest of the poor to cushion the effect of Covid-19 in the state.
Concluding the distribution exercise, Governor Seyi Makinde and some members of his cabinet, visited some of the identified households in Oke Ado, Foko, Oja-Oba and Oranyan areas in Ibadan South West Local Government.
Governor Makinde personally handed over food items such as rice, beans and garri including vegetable oil to some of the beneficiaries.
Speaking with journalists after the exercise, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agricbusiness, Dr. Debo Akande said the ongoing palliatives distribution to identified 120 households across the state has no political undertone.
Dr. Akande said the second phase of the exercise would be for the identified 30,000 vulnerable households.
He said the feedback gotten and analysis done so far has shown that the exercise was a systematic approach to distribution of goods to the right set of people.
While noting that the palliative measures were in two ways, the food distribution and Agricultural inputs to support farmers, explained that not less than 10,000 farmers would benefit from the support within the next two weeks.
Iyabo Adebisi
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state has flagged off the distribution of palliative packages for the COVID-19 partial lockdown in the state.
The distribution of the palliatives which according to the governor is meant for the poorest of the poor was flagged off in Igboora, Ibarapa zone of the state.
Governor Makinde noted that the decision to decentralize the distribution across various zones in the state was borne out of the need to ensure that the packages reach expected beneficiaries irrespective of political or religious affiliations.
Governor Makinde added that other categories of the palliative packages that would accommodate farmers and other vulnerable sector of the society, would soon be distributed.
While reeling out modalities for proper distribution, Commissioner for Special Duties and chairman Palliative Distribution Committee, Chief Bayo Lawal said about 2836 packages would be distributed across Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa East and Ibarapa North Local governments.
Some of the beneficiaries commended the state government for the kind gesture and appealed to the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration not to relent in his efforts to bring development to the state.
Iyabo Adebisi
