From Tom Garba, Yola
The victims of insurgency-ravaged communities of Adamawa have cried out over an alleged diversion of 1,470 tons relief grains delivered by the Federal Government to cushion the hardships caused by insurgency in Adamawa.
Indications that the distribution of the 72 trailer- load of grains, delivered a forthnight ago by the Federal Government through the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF) Babachir Lawal, may have been mired in scandal surfaced when the District Head of Gulak, Bello Hijadi Black, revealed that the “whole of Madagali got only 250 bags of grains”.
Hijadi who spoke on behalf victims of insurgency in his community expressed his displeasure over the “criminal diversion” of over 1,00 bags of 50kg grains meant for his constituency, out of the two trailer-load of the relief materials.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government had a forthnight ago presented 1,470 tonnes of grains for distribution in Adamawa with special emphasis by the SGF, who was represented by Ibrahim Babetel, Senior. Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari that priority attention be given to insurgency ravaged areas – Madagali, Michika, Mubi North, Mubi South, Maiha, Hong and Gombi.
The gesture, according to Bapetel, was to cushion the hardship occasioned by the attacks on the people of the state by Boko Haram insurgents.
But investigations revealed that other councils in the state not given priority attention in the distribution rather got away with the lion share of the relief items.
Also, the consignment instead of being dispatched in the 50kg bags they were delivered into the state were allegedly rebagged into 25kg weighted bags before distribution to most of the insurgency-ravaged areas.
However, the District Head of Jimeta, Alhaji. Baba Inuwa Pharis, when questioned about the relief items simply referred The Dream Daily to Head of Service for Yola North local government.
According to him, he never received nor saw any of relief items even though he was aware some relief items were distributed by the FG.
Those who spoke on the issue but who would not want their names to be known made a special reference to Numan where it was claimed two truck-load of grains were delivered to the area but one of the trucks got missing.
It was alleged that the truck was diverted by a chief who may have influenced the distribution of the relief item to the council.
“An area like Numan got two truck load of the item while it been alleged that one of the paramount ruler from the area who may have influenced the distribution allegedly took delivery of one of the trucks for himself,” a source said.
Hon. Emmanuel Tsamdu, an opposition member from the Peoples Democratic Party representing Madagali constituency in the Adamawa State House of Assembly and its Minority Whip expressed displeasure with the distribution of the relief materials.
He said for him, “This distribution was done in Abuja and only the template was brought to the state,” arguing that “the distribution after all may not been done from an altruistic disposition to help those who were really hard hit by the insurgency.”
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