Two months after, Niger palliatives still in store

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Members of the Niger Assembly have expressed dismay over the hoarding of Covid-19 pallatives by the State Covid-19 Task Force.

The legislators wondered why the foodstuff were still in store rather than distributed to residents still feeling residual effects of the lockdown.

Chairman of the House of Assembly Ad-hoc Committee on Covid-19, Hon Malik Madaki Bosso, raised the alarm during an oversight function to the Covid-19 isolation centres and food stores in the state.

The legislators were told the Covid-19 Task Force received 88 trucks of palliatives from CACOVID-19 and three trucks of rice from the Federal Government.

But the food stuff still in the store include: 94,194 cartons of indomie; 47,611 cartoons of sugar; 9,000 bags  of 10kg rice; 43,311 cartoons of macaroni spaghetti; 3,150 bags of 50kg rice; 515 cartoons of indomie; 1,860 cartoons of spagetti; 1,236 of 5kg rice and 2,100 packs of 1kg semovita among others.

Bosso lamented the palliatives donated over two months ago to alleviate effects of the lockdown were yet to be distributed, adding they were not meant to be hoarded.

The legislator wondered why items that could have fed people were left in store at a time many were still hungry.

“If the food items have been kept here for over two months now and you said you are waiting for a distribution template from the donors, then you need to persuade them to come up with it as soon as possible.

“Our people are suffering and you know that hunger waits for none and we can’t just sit and watch our people going through hardship while food items are locked up in our stores,” he told the Task Force.

Bosso declared the committee would not fold its arms to see residents dying of hunger while directing the Task Force to present a monthly report of all activities henceforth.

Chairman of the Niger Task Force on COVID-19, Ahmed Matane, explained the palliatives were yet to be distributed because they were awaiting a template for ease of distribution.

“We have received 88 trucks of palliatives from CACOVID-19 and three trucks of rice from the Federal Government but we are still waiting for a template from the donors before distribution will commence,” he said.