Nasarawa Assembly sets up committee to investigate alleged diversion of palliatives

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has set up a seven-man committee to investigate the alleged diversion of palliatives by government officials and stakeholders in the state.

The House said that the committee is to ensure that all those involved in diverting palliatives meant for the poorest are punished according to the laws of the land.

Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi, the Speaker of the House, set up the Committee under a matter of public interest brought by Hon. Musa Ibrahim Abubakar (NNPP-Doma South) during the House proceedings Tuesday in Lafia.

The Speaker said that the House would never fold its hands to watch some people sabotage the good intentions of President Bola Tinubu and Gov. Abdullahi Sule in providing Palliatives to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal in the country.

According to him, the seven-man committee members are Hon. Abel Bala, the Deputy Speaker of the House as Chairman, Hon. Musa Ibrahim, Hon. Barr. Esson Mairiga, Hon. Hajara Danyaro, Hon. Luka Zhekaba, the Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Daniel Ogazi, and Hon. Danladi Jatau as members of the committee, and the Secretary of the committee is Barr. Safiya Balarabe.

The Speaker gave the committee three weeks to do a thorough investigation and report back its findings to the House for appropriate action.

“I will give you three weeks to do your work and report back to the House, and all those involved must be invited at the committee level,” he said.

The Speaker appreciated Hon. Musa Ibrahim Abubakar for coming up with the matter and all members for their positive contributions on the issue.

“It is sad and very disappointing that some people are sabotaging the good intentions of Mr. President and Gov. Sule in alleviating the suffering of the poor.

“The purpose of the palliatives is to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal. I don’t know why some people diverted most of the palliatives for their personal use and that of their families.

The Speaker, who alleged that most of the palliatives, especially rice, are sold to traders and found in the marketplaces, urged the committee to do a thorough job and that those involved would be brought to book to serve as deterrents to others.

“Every leader has three judgements awaiting him: the judgement of the people, the judgement of posterity, and the judgement of God Almighty.

We must do the right thing at all times so that posterity will judge us rightly, the people will also judge us rightly, and we can also face God’s Almighty judgement with a free conscience.

“If we allow this thing to continue, people will judge us wrongly, posterity will condemn us, and God Almighty will punish us,” He emphasised.

The Speaker called for attitudinal change among political leaders, stakeholders, and other Nigerians for the country to move forward.

“If this country must move forward, we must change our attitude, “the Speaker added.

In their contributions, Hon. Danladi Jatau, Hon. Solomon Akwashiki, Hon. Hajara Danyaro, and Hon. Musa Saidu all supported the idea of setting up a committee to unravel the alleged diversion of the palliatives meant for the poor.

They said that the essence of the distribution of the palliatives will be defeated if those involved in the alleged diversion go unpunished in the state.

They added that the Federal and Nasarawa State Governments provided palliatives for the poor irrespective of political and other affiliations and wondered why some people have been denied the palliatives.

Earlier, Hon. Musa Ibrahim Abubakar, Member representing Doma South Constituency, while raising the issue, said that the palliatives meant for the poor in Doma LGA have been diverted by those involved in the distribution.

He appealed to the Speaker and other members to support him by setting up a committee to investigate the alleged diversion of the palliatives.

“Mr. Speaker and Hon. Colleagues, it is a matter of public interest and very urgent. It is on the issue of the diversion of palliatives meant for the poor in the state.

“Lists of the poor were generated, and palliatives were distributed, but the majority of the poor did not get the palliatives.

The majority of the palliatives were diverted by those involved in the distribution, and beneficiaries were also shortchanged in terms of the N5000 as approved by the government to N2,000 and N1,500.

“The government said that the palliatives are for all, devoid of interest, and irrespective of party affiliations,” he said.

Hon. Musa called for punitive measures for all those who diverted the palliatives to serve as a deterrent to others.

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