Bayelsa State Residents have stormed Warehouse filled with 2022 flood palliatives.
Newsonline Nigeria reports that residents of the Yenagoa metropolis in Bayelsa State broke into a warehouse on Sunday evening and carted away palliatives intended for victims of the 2022 floods but hoarded by the government.
The palliatives that were meant to be distributed to flood victims during the 2022 floods were locked in a private warehouse and, according to Walamam Sam Igrubia, the director general of the Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (BYSEMA), were claimed to be unfit for consumption.
In attempts to refute the allegations levelled against the agency and the state government, Igrubia wrote on Monday that BYSEMA was surprised at the invasion of the premises of a privately owned warehouse in which the agency used to store food items during the 2022 flood.
The raided food items, according to Igrubia, were remnants of palliatives unfit for consumption.
He forgot, however, to explain why there were remnant palliatives when internally displaced people across the state reported not receiving palliatives during the flood, why palliatives were left to rot and why palliatives provided by the government for the people were stored in a private warehouse.
BYSEMA’s FULL STATEMENT
“The Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (BYSEMA) notes with surprise and concern the unwarranted invasion of the premises of a privately-owned warehouse in the Kpansia area of Yenagoa, the state capital.
“During the 2022 flood in the state, the agency used the warehouse to store food items.
“As part of preparations for an impending flood this year, the DG visited the premises, and in his presence, remnants of food items, notably rice and garri that were no longer fit for consumption, were cleared from the warehouse and placed outside for disposal the next day.
“The remnants, which were swept from the floor and packed in disused bags, were less than 10 bags of rice and garri and with some broken cans of oil.
“For emphasis, BYSEMA states that these items were not fresh food palliatives and were not hoarded by the Agency or the state government.”
“Importantly, these items are unfit for human consumption and a responsible, caring government like ours will not give Bayelsans such items as palliatives.
“In essence, there were really no food items to loot. So, those who carted away the unfit items are please advised in their own interest not to consume them.
“BYSEMA equally condemns the action of the yet-to-be-identified persons that invaded the premises of a private warehouse on Sunday.
“It also condemns the attempt to politicise the incident by opposition elements in the state, who seek to score cheap political points from the ugly occurrence.
“The Agency assures people of the state of its preparedness to handle the distribution of palliatives provided by the Federal Government as part of cushioning the effects of its fuel subsidy removal policy as well as the fallout of an impending flooding this year.”
