Despite Hunger In Kano, State Abandons Govt’s COVID-19 Palliatives Under Sun, Rain

Nigerian Government food items delivered to Kano State government as palliatives are left rotten at open space and are being beaten by rain and sun, The Guardian has gathered.

The Federal government two weeks ago delivered 110 trucks of food items to the state meant to be distributed to vulnerable and less privileged whose sources of survival are being crumbled due to lockdown directive. No thanks to COVID-19 pandemic.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Farouq delivered the consignment on Sunday 17th May, 2020.

The palliatives include 5,318 metric tonns of rice; 2,438 metric tonns of maize; 1,380 metric tonns of millet and 900 metric tonns of Sorghum.

Worried to notice, however, the relief items worth millions of naira are still left abandoned at the warehouse of Kano Agricultural Supply Company (KASCO) premises at Farm centre without cover to prevent from any circumstantial damage.

The food items which already opened to any eventualities, are being drained by three consecutive rain fall; several bags already soaked by water, The Guardian gathered.

A source at the premises who regretted how the food items left rotten under the rains, told The Guardian the consignment have spent more than one week unattended to.

“Many people are living hungry because they cannot go to fetch for their daily sources of livelihood. Government brought the food to assistant people but look at the items here under the rain and in the sun. How can people be starving and food meant for them left idle this is wrong”.

When contacted, Chairman of the State Fundraising Committee and Vice Chancellor, Bayero University Kano, Professor Mohammed Yahuza Bello explained that plan for the evacuation and distribution of the Federal government palliatives is slated to commence on Thursday.

Professor Bello who led the distribution of the first phase of the state owned palliatives stressed that the committee is being constraint by logistics from government, which he noted is being addressed.

Although, Kano State government recently disbursed similar palliatives to 50,000 households across the 484 political wards in the state.

The palliatives being handled by the adhoc committee on COVID-19 fundraising had announced two weeks ago plan to commence the Federal government palliatives to additional 50,000 households across the 44 local government area to crushing the effect of the COVID-19 induced lockdown.