Palliative Diversion: Nasarawa Assembly Set-up Committee to Probe Govt Officials

Palliative Diversion: Nasarawa Assembly Set-up Committee To Probe Govt Officials

By Suleiman Husseini,Lafia

The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has set up a 7-man committee to investigate the alleged diversion of palliatives by government officials and stakeholders in the state.

The House charged the committee to ensure that all those involved in diverting palliatives meant for the poor of the poorest are punished according to the laws of the land.

Ibrahim Abdullahi, the Speaker of the Assembly announced this on Tuesday under a matter of public interest brought by Musa Abubakar (NNPP- Doma South) during plenary in Lafia.

The speaker assured that the legislature would never fold its hands to watch some people sabotage the good intention of President Bola Tinubu and Gov. Abdullahi Sule in providing palliatives to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal in the country.

“Members of the 7-man committee are Hon. Abel Bala, the Deputy Speaker of the House as Chairman; Hon. Musa Ibrahim; Hon. Barr. Esson Mairiga; Hon. Hajara Danyaro; Hon. Luka Zhekaba, the Minority Leader of the House; Hon. Daniel Ogazi, and Hon. Danladi Jatau as members of the committee, while the Secretary of the committee is Barr. Safiya Balarabe,” he said.

The speaker gave the committee three weeks to do a thorough investigation and report back its findings to the House for appropriate action.

“I will give you three weeks to do your work and report back to the House and all those involved must be invited at the committee level,” he said.

The speaker appreciated their colleague for coming up with the matter and all members for their positive contributions on the issue.

“It is sad and very disappointing that some people are sabotaging the good intention of Mr President and Gov. Sule in alleviating the suffering of the poor.

“The purpose of the palliatives is to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal. I don’t know why some people diverted most of the palliatives for their personal use and their families,” he said.

Mr Abdullahi, who alleged that most of the palliatives, especially rice, were sold to traders and found in the marketplaces, urged the committee to do a thorough job and those involved will be brought to book to serve as deterrent to others.

“Every leader has three judgments: judgment of the people, judgment of posterity and the judgment of God.

“We must do the right thing at all times so that posterity will judge us rightly, the people will also judge us right and also face God Almighty’s judgment with a free conscience.

“If we allow this thing to continue, people will judge us wrongly, posterity will condemn us and God Almighty will punish us,” he said.

The speaker called for attitudinal change among political leaders, stakeholders, public officers and other Nigerians for the country to move forward.

In their contributions, Danladi Jatau, Solomon Akwashiki, Musa Saidu, and Hajara Danyaro, all supported the idea of setting up a committee to unravel the alleged diversion of the palliatives meant for the poor.

They said that the essence of the distribution of the palliatives would be defeated if those involved in the alleged diversion went unpunished in the state.

They said that the Federal and Nasarawa State Governments provided the palliatives for the poor irrespective of political and other affiliations, and wondered why some people have been denied the palliatives.

Earlier, Musa Abubakar, a member representing the Doma South constituency, said that the palliatives meant for the poor in Doma LGA have been diverted by those involved in the distribution.

He appealed to the Speaker and other colleagues to support him by setting up a committee to investigate the alleged diversion of the palliatives.

“Mr Speaker and Hon. colleagues, it is a matter of public interest and very urgent. It is on the issue of the diversion of palliatives meant for the poor in the state.

“List of the poor was generated and palliatives were distributed but a majority of the poor did not get the palliatives. majority of the palliatives were diverted by those involved in the distribution and beneficiaries were also shortchanged in terms of the N5,000 as approved by the government to N2,000 and N1,500.

“The government said that the palliatives are for all, devoid of interest and irrespective of party affiliations,” he said.

He called for punitive measures for all those who diverted the palliatives to serve as deterrents to others.