FG Donates 250 Bags Of Spoilt Beans, Other Items To Benue IDPs

The Benue State Emergen­cy Management Agency (SEMA) on Monday lament­ed
the donation of 250 bags of spoilt beans to internally displaced persons
(IDPs) in the state as palliatives from the Federal Government.

The agency also lamented the influx of more than 10,000 refugees into the state, as well as more IDPs into the camps.

The
National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced
Persons had donated the beans to the IDPs on Monday in Makurdi, on
behalf of the Federal Gov­ernment.

But when asked to com­ment,
Governor Samuel Or­tom said he was not yet aware that spoilt beans had
been donated to IDPs in the state.

The governor, who prom­ised to
investigate the matter, however, said the state had re­ceived three
trailers of rice from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and
that the state was still ex­pecting more from Dangote Foundation.

He appreciated those that had delivered and those that were on their way to deliv­ering and praised them for their gesture.

But
Emmanuel Shior, Executive Secretary, SEMA, who earlier disclosed that
he received the spoilt beans as well as other items on behalf of the
IDPs, expressed grati­tude to President Muhamma­du Buhari for the care
and support to IDPs in the state.

The Accountant of SEMA, Steven
Bubwa, who repre­sented the Executive Secre­tary at the occasion, said:
“They (the commission) brought to us items ranging from food and
non-food items, including 216 bags of beans, which was almost spoilt and
we took permission from them to share.”

When Daily Indepen­dent
sought the attention of Bashir Garba, the National Commissioner of the
Com­mission, to comment on the alleged ‘spoilt beans’, he ig­nored our
correspondent and walked briskly to his waiting car and zoomed off.

Earlier,
Bashir explained that the team was in Benue to support persons
displaced from their homes and forced to live in their host
commu­nities.

He said: “As an agency mandated to provide care and
maintenance to these vulnerable groups, we will continue to do our best
to make their lives better.

“We thank Mr. President for his support and commit­ment towards alleviating the sufferings of vulnerable people.”

Items
donated to the IDPs include 355 bags of rice, 56 bags of garri, 256
bags of millet, 300 gallons of palm oil, 23 bags of iodized salt, 71
cartons of tomato paste, and 65 cartons of Maggi.

Some of the
non-food items are assorted drugs, 1500 mats, 1000 pieces of blankets,
80 cartons of de­tergents, 80 cartons of toilet soap, 85 dozens of
bathroom slippers of various sizes, and 800 plastics.

Daily Independent