CSOs, NLC berate governments over palliative chaos

Tales of scramble stampede, fights and general commotion have trailed the media space following commencement of distribution of palliatives to citizens across the country by state governments.

While the event was relatively peaceful in some destinations across the country, it was stampede and chaos in others, as citizens fought each other to get a portion of the food items being distributed.

Federal Government had in August approved the sum of N5 billion as loan for each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to enable them to procure food items for distribution to the poor in their respective states on the back of the economic hardship occasioned by the petrol subsidy removal by the President Bola Tinubu administration on May 29, this year.

It was also said to have released five trucks of rice each to the 36 state governors and the Minister of the FCT.

From the loan, state governors were to procure 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of maize, and fertilizers, as 52 per cent of the funds were also given to the state governments as grants with 48 per cent as loans.

Meanwhile, in Benue state, the government distributed relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) for the month of September on Saturday. It distributed 18,714 different types of relief materials for the month.

Items distributed were 5,118 bags of 25kg rice, 3,580 bags of 25kg beans, 2,050 bags of garri, 4,010 cartons of noodles and 321 gallons of 25-litre of groundnut oil. Others were 180 gallons of 20-litre palm oil, 414 bags of seasoning cubes, 359 bags of salt and 254 bags of sugar.

Commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management, Mr Aondowase Kunde and the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, (SEMA), Sir James Iorpuu, jointly performed the ceremony in Makurdi.

Kunde said Gov. Hyacinth Alia directed that the materials must reach orphanages and rehabilitation homes in the state.

He added that it was the first time relief materials reached Mama Abayol Orphanage Home, the Rehabilitation Centre at Apir, and the School of Special needs at Aliade at Gwer Local Government Area.

It was also the first time that relief materials reached Vandeikya Local Government Area and host communities of refugees in Kwande Local Government Area of the state, he said.

Kunde assured that Benue state would ensure that displaced persons returned home in the shortest possible time.

In his remarks, a dejected Iorpuu said SEMA received reports that some IDPs sold part of the food items given to them in August to enable them to buy detergents and other items.

He added that having identified additional needs of the IDPs, 914 cartons of soap and 872 cartons of detergents were included in the September relief materials.

Iorpuu said SEMA also included 600 mattresses as part of relief items distributed in September because it was found that most of the IDPs did not have beds. He commended Gov. Alia for his plans to resettle the IDPs in their homes.

Iorpuu also admonished Benue state residents to stop besieging SEMA with requests for food items as what the agency had in store were for IDPs.

However, in Plateau, the case was the opposite as chaos took over the exercise, resulting in serious injuries to citizens hurt in the mass scramble for food items.

The state governor, Caleb Mutfwang, had confirmed that he received 3,000 bags of rice from the Federal Government andwould make good use of the “available resources to mitigate the suffering of the people.”

“On the issue of the palliative, the Federal Government is allocating N5bn in principle to every state for palliative to the poorest of the poor. We have received N2bn so far. 52 per cent is the grant component and 48 per cent is a loan component that we must repay.

“We were allocated 3,000 bags of rice for the state. We are mandated to use N1bn to buy rice locally. I pledge that not a single kobo of the N5bn will be misused.”

However, as news spread that the there was no palliatives at the local government secretariat where they are supposed to have been stored, the scramble by people in the communities to reach a secondary schools saw many people injured and needing treatment in the Qua’an-Pan Local Government Area’s headquarters in Doemak.

In Lagos, the chaos was captured in a viral video, where in Shomolu local government area the scramble led to some residents receiving serious beatings in their bid to get the rice, beans and spaghetti packs on distribution.

In the video, residents were seen struggling to get a pack of the rice, beans and spaghetti that were dished out by the officials of the LGA.

Those who gathered at the Agunbiade Primary School that Saturday morning, to receive subsidy palliatives, stumbled on one another to get their share.

In another video, two residents were seen beaten to a pulp.

When interviewed, one said they had got a pack but were trying to ‘defend’ it from others who said it was supposed to be theirs. That was how the angry residents beat them up and took their palliatives away.

Some officials who were in a closed van threw the packed foodstuff at the crowd who were left to scamper for them.

Many packages ended up being torn as the angry residents dragged them and argued over their ownership.

In Benue and Akwa Ibom states, most residents claim insisted they are yet to see or even get any of the items on distribution.

National Coordinator, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), Emmanuel Onwubiko, said it was a big shame that the local governments at the states cannot coordinate palliative distribution to the poor.

“This show of shame is the reason we at HURIWA object strongly to the thoughtless, irrational and insensitive decisions by President Bola Tinubu to withdraw subsidy from petrol without adequate arrangements on how to ameliorate the untold sufferings that would inevitably be unleashed on the over 133m multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians.

“The decision of President Tinubu to distribute bags of rice and N5bn to each state of the federation through their governors is illogical, irresponsible, and despicable.

“These same governors, who had failed to utilise funds allotted to them from the federation account monthly to provide social services and set up functional infrastructures to power the private sector to become productive in their states, are the same persons that President Tinubu gave money to share to poor Nigerians.

“First, how did the President conclude that N5bn is all that the poor citizens would need to reduce the hardship inflicted by his thoughtless withdrawal of fuel subsidy?

“How did the President assume that there are an equal number of poor households in each state of the federation that made his government distribute equal amounts of money as palliatives? The entire issue of palliatives is a massive scam. It is unfortunate, regrettable, and outrageous,” said the HURIWA chief.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged the 36 state governors in the country to disclose details on the spending of the N2 billion palliative recently disbursed to each state by the Federal Government, including the names of beneficiaries and details of the reliefs so far provided with the money.’

In an open letter signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said, “It is in the public interest to publish the details on the spending of the N2bn palliative and any subsequent disbursement of funds to your government.

“Nigerians have the right to know how their states are spending the fuel subsidy relief funds. It is part of their legally enforceable human rights.

“Transparency and accountability in the spending of the N2bn and any subsequent disbursement to your state would help to reduce the risk of corruption, mismanagement, diversion, or opportunism.”

SERAP also noted that it would take all appropriate legal actions to compel the governors to comply with its request in the public interest.

Also, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), through its National Assistant General Secretary, Mr Christopher Onyeka, last Tuesday, accused the Federal Government of sharing a bag of rice to a dozen citizens while reportedly giving N100m palliative to each member of the National Assembly.

The Assistant General Secretary said Nigerians were insulted by the inadequate palliative being given.

“Can you see the insult that a ward would share a bag of rice and the government calls that a palliative? It is an insult to Nigerians, whereas the government gave legislators N70bn and each of the legislators gets over N100m in a country where Nigerians are suffering.

“The FG is buying cars and houses of over N100m for each person and Nigerians are keeping quiet as if what is going on is a normal thing. NLC calls Nigerians to join hands together because they cannot do it alone.

‘’When NLC calls for action, people should come out, they should because it is a collective effort to make the government yield to the desires and the interest of Nigerians.”