CACOVID-19: Food palliatives to Niger to be distributed on completion of supplies

Niger State Coordinator for the coalition of private-sector against COVID-19 (CACOVID) Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad has that donation of food items to the state to cushion the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic on the vulnerable people in the state is still ongoing, hence the items cannot be distributed for now.

Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad made the clarification on Tuesday in Minna, adding that out of the 88 trucks of the items expected to be delivered to the state, only 73 trucks have so far been received while 15 of such trucks were being awaited.

The state Coordinator, said the items which were to be shared as a full package to 47, 611 vulnerable households in the state in accordance to the guidelines given by the CACOVID, can only be distributed when supplies were complete as captured in the distribution guidelines presented by the donors.

“We have received items fine, but it is a continuous process and until these items are complete, no distribution will be made because, in the template of CA COVID- 19, all these items will have to be put together to make a package”, he explained.

He said only 9,000 bags of rice which was one of the major items have been received as against the 47,611 bags that were expected, hence they cannot be distributed for now.

While noting that the issue was not peculiar to Niger state alone, the coordinator maintained that he was in constant communication with the national secretariat of CACOVID for the update.

He added that about six states, including Benue, were also yet to distribute due to incomplete supply of items.

Earlier, the Chairman of the state Taskforce on COVID-19 who was also the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG) Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Matane re-iterated that government was not in anyway hoarding the food items donated by CACOVID but making efforts to ensure that the guidelines given by the donors were strictly adhered to.

Alhaji Ahmed Matane explained that the food items which started coming in about two months ago, were intact, stressing, that the process of supply was still ongoing and beneficiaries will be identified and profiled when the items have been completely supplied.

He thereby assured the people that in line with the zero-tolerance to corruption policy of the state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello-led administration, the process will be transparently carried out in due course.

The palliative items supplied include cartons of noodles, spaghetti, Macaroni, bags of rice and Semovita, as well as sugar among others.

The items were currently stored at three different locations of government stores in Minna, the state capital.

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