Groups in the North East have urged governors and lawmakers from the zone to ensure judicious distribution of the N15b palliatives given to them by the North East Development Commission, NEDC.
The NEDC on September9 presented food and non-food items worth N15b to the governors of North East, comprising Borno, Adamawa Yobe, Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe states as well as to National and State Assembly members from the respective states for onwards distribution.
Speaking to NAN, Khalil Bello, the National President of Kullen Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, KACRAN, urged state governments and lawmakers in the zone not to forget the nomads in their area when sharing the palliatives.
“I want to thank the NEDC for this support and to urge our elected representatives in the region who are given the responsibility share the palliatives not to forget the vulnerable groups like the nomads who are always in the bush with their cattle,” Bello said.
According to Bello, the herders are among the worst affected groups by the insurgency in the north east and need to be given some support.
Also, the Chairman of People Living with Disability in Borno, Mohammed Abubakar urged the governors not to forget people with disability.
Also contributing, Baba Zira who spoke from Adamawa, said the allocation from the NEDC should be given to those who missed out in recent distribution of state government palliatives.
“There should be justice and fairness by ensuring that only those who didn’t get in the recent distribution are given.
“Some people who got the state government palliatives are hoping to get another ration from the NEDC allocation. This, to me is not fair because there are many people who are yet to get anything, ” Zira said.
Also speaking on fairness in the distribution of all categories of palliatives, the Borno Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in its communique at it just concluded congress, praised the commission for the gesture and urged for fairness in the exercise.
The NUJ cautioned against diversion by individuals and streesed the need to monitor and ensure it reached citizens that have not benefited.
Meanwhile, Borno lawmakers in National and State assemblies have announced that they have handed over the palliatives to Governor Babagana Zulum to allocate and distribute accordingly.
Similarly, Sen. Binos Yaroe of Adamawa South, also announced the handing of his senatorial district allocation to Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri.
The Managing Director of NEDC, Mohammed Alkali, said that 65,000 bags of rice would be shared to the six governors for State-wide distribution, while 36,000 bags would go to the 18 Senators in the zone.
He also said that 72,000 bags would be delivered to the 48 Federal lawmakers from the zone while 30,000 bags would go to the state assembly members in the six states.
“This distribution pattern applies to the other Food and Non-Food Items and is designed to encourage wider reach to the vulnerable population and promote inclusiveness,” Mr Alkali said.
NAN
