Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa residents decry alleged diversion of federal palliatives

Residents of Bauchi, Gombe and Jigawa states have decried the alleged diversion of the Federal Government’s 20-truck rice palliative. They also condemned the reported hoarding and hijacking of the product by government and ruling party officials in the states.

Investigations have shown that the Federal Government had allocated 20 trucks of rice and other packages to the 36 state governments as part of measures to cushion the rising cost of living in the country.

The palliatives include food items, inputs and cash grants to the vulnerable, as well as the introduction of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles to check hike in fares and ease the movement of goods and services.

A cross-section of Nigerians, who spoke on the development in Bauchi, Gombe and Dutse, alleged the diversion of the palliatives by government officials.
In Dutse, the Jigawa capital, the residents accused political leaders of the diversion of the items meant for the vulnerable and poor families.

One Alhaji Muhammadu Hamza accused the state officials of distributing the palliatives only to their supporters.

“We did not receive any item after symbolic distribution of the palliative by the government officials,” he said. Malam Sani Muazu, a resident of Bauchi, said residents had not received the rice allocated to the state.