Customs distribute bags of rice, cartons of spaghetti, others to IDPs in Bauchi

INTERNALLY Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Bauchi State have received relief materials comprising 929 bags of 50kgs of rice, 30 cartons of spaghetti and 307 bales of second-hand clothing from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

The donation of the materials was disclosed by the Comptroller in charge of Bauchi/Gombe Commands of the Service, Kalla Hamis in an interview with newsmen in his office on Monday saying that the Bauchi/Gombe Command headquarters was given a directive from the Customs Headquarters in Abuja to release the relief materials to the Bauchi State Government for distribution to the IDPs in their various camps.

He said: “We were given a directive from the Customs headquarters to immediately release some materials for distribution to the Internally Displaced Persons in Bauchi State. The items include 929 bags of rice, 30 cartons of Spaghetti and 307 bales of second-hand clothing which were duly seized and condemned by the High Court and forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

Kalla Hamis added that, “The Comptroller General in his magnanimity, decided that we should hand them over to the Bauchi State Government for distribution to the Internally Displaced Persons in the state.”

He further said “that upon receipt of the directives from our Headquarters, a letter was written to the state government which was acknowledged and responded to on the 8th of May. We have since delivered the goods to them accordingly. We’ve been able to do appropriate documentation to make sure that the goods actually get to where they should get to.”

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The Zonal Comptroller said that the goods were handed to the IDPs through the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and said that three trucks were used to convey the goods and each truck was escorted by the men of the Federal Operations and Command with all the landing documentations duly signed by both parties.

Speaking on the reasons for the release of the goods to the IDPs, he said: “Its a normal thing when we have seized goods and we look at the less privileged, they are given to them as welfare by the federal government to alleviate their sufferings.”

Kalla Hamis explained that in trying to carry out this directive, he formed a committee that will ensure that the exercise is given the actual necessary and sensitive attention it requires.

“Against this backdrop, I set up a committee that ensures the successful handing over of these items to the beneficiaries. This committee consists of the Comptroller, Federal Operations, Zone D, the representative of the Zonal Coordinator, Zone D, the Assistant Legal Adviser, Zone D, whose responsibility is to go the courts and condemn these goods,” he said.

“So they need to see what is actually being done. You know the fulcrum of the whole seizure is the FOU and the strike force. We have handed over those goods to them because of the sensitive nature,” he further stated.

While confirming the receipt of the items in a telephone interview with our Correspondent, the Officer in Charge of Relief and Rehabilitation, SEMA, Bauchi, Bala Yakub, said that all the goods were brought as you see. them.”

He said: “Yes, we received 929 bags of rice, 30 cartons of Spaghetti and 307 bales of second-hand clothing from the Nigeria Customs Service. These items have been handed over to the Chairman of the IDPS and his executives for the onward distribution to their members.”