- * Alleges Plot To Turn Citizens Against Tinubu
- 'Stop whipping Up Sentiments, Raising Unfounded Allegations', Nasarawa Govt Tells PDP
By David Okpashi (Nasarawa State Correspondent, in Lafia)
The People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa state has called on the Federal Government to quickly intervene and recover the funds released to the Nasarawa State government as palliative, to cushion the effects of hardship on the people as a result of the subsidy removal.
The opposition party have also alleged that the manner in which the state government is going about the distribution of the items, was a plot to turn the people against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The PDP in a statement by its Chairman, Francis Orogu and made available to Journalists in Lafia on Saturday, called on the federal government to urgently retrieve the N2bn released to the state and ensure a proper channel of distribution for the benefit of the vulnerable and other targeted audiences in the state for the palliative items.
"The whole process is obviously designed to turn the people against the President and the Federal Government,as the meager items being distributed are blamed on the Federal Government, rather than the criminal diversion of the money given to the state government for this purpose.
"Our attention has been drawn to the unwholesome diversion of the parliative and the whole short-change of the poor people of our state by officials of the APC led state government".
According to the statement, the appeal has become urgent in order to ensure that the Federal Government’s noble decision to cushion the hardship Nigerians were facing does not become an avenue to line up the pockets of the officials of government rather than the poor.
"It is now clear that rather than apply the funds to purchase foodstuff and other items to help the people, the money has obviously been diverted while the citizens of the state were being given pitiable measures of food items and ridiculous amount that are an insult on the reputation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu".
The statement however claimed that the exercise was in the public domain, adding that already the BBC Hausa service, which witnessed the distribution of the items in Keffi Local Government Area of the state did a broadcast report on it which has ridiculed the image of the Government of Nigeria because of the meager and miserly items given to families to feed on.
"The BBC Hausa Service carried reactions of widows, orphans, and the weak who cried out for help against the insult and ridiculing manner the poor have been subjected to by the state government in the name of palliative distribution.
"It is obvious that even if the state government had utilized just N2 billion as part of the N5 Billion given by the Federal government to buy foodstuff for the poor in the state, the impact would definitely be felt by the people.
"We are therefore constrained to draw the attention of the federal government to the unwholesome diversion of this money by the state government and the grains that security has since reported to be sold in the markets.
"The decision of President Tinubu to reduce the hardship of Nigerians in the wake of the subsidy removal has now become an opportunity for the state government to line up the pockets of its officials. What is going on in Nasarawa state in the name of palliative calls for prompt action by President Tinubu to save his name and the reputation of his administration .
"As a party and as a people, we can not fold our arms and watch the good intention of the federal government to go down the drains.
"It is on this premise that we call on the federal government to urgently step up its monitoring mechanism to ensure that its pro-poor people policy is not derailed in Nasarawa state with a concomitant effect on the FCT.
"We suggest a constitution of a special task force made up of workers' unions and civil society groups among others, to handle the distribution of the palliative in Nasarawa state. How can a family of more than 10 go home with 2 measures of corn in the face of the hardships we are in? This is what is going on in our state. It is a shame and a scandal", the statement declared.
In a swift reaction, the Nasarawa State Government has asked the citizens to disregard the sentiment expressed by the opposition PDP in the state, adding that government was transparent in its dealing with all manner of people in the state.
According to the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on public Affairs, Peter Ahemba, how can PDP alleged irregularities in the distribution of the subsidy palliative when the governor, Abdullahi Sule and his deputy, Emmanuel Akabe, were fully involved in the distribution and monitoring of the exercise?.
The SSA said: "Governor Sule and his administration will not do anything to drag the name and administration of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu to disrepute. The Nasarawa state government is conscious of the plight of its citizens, and as such, cannot afford to toy with their source of livelihood", the state government declared. NNL.
