Amid Hardship Government Officials Divert 2000 Bags Of Rice Donated By Nigerian Govt To Residents
The Department of State Services (DSS) has said that its operatives in Katsina State Command recovered 2000 bags of rice from the 20 trucks donated to the state by the Nigerian government.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the recovered rice was allegedly diverted by some Katsina State government officials.
The Nigerian government had donated the rice to alleviate the economic hardships currently affecting the country.
The DSS officials, who confirmed this development, declined to comment further and preferred to remain anonymous.
However, NAN reports that an investigation revealed that the 25kg bags of rice were stored at the Central market in Katsina, following a tip-off to the DSS on Wednesday night.
Mr. Abdulrahman Abdullahi, Chairman of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the state, expressed shock over the incident and lamented the diversion of palliatives meant for the vulnerable.
He vowed to pursue the case to its logical conclusion and advised the government to investigate the matter thoroughly and punish those responsible.
A resident of Katsina, Suleiman Kofar-Durbi, described the situation as unfortunate, highlighting the hardships people are facing due to the current economic conditions.
He urged the government to investigate and hold the culprits accountable.
Alhaji Shehu Usman, Chairman of the Market Traders Association, revealed that the rice was brought into the market by someone who was not a trader, emphasizing the need for traders to be cautious about accepting such items for storage.
In response, Mr. Aliyu Abdullahi, Principal Private Secretary to Gov. Dikko Radda, stated that the rice was allocated to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, by the Federal Government.
The minister had directed the Special Adviser to the Governor on Infrastructure Development, Alhaji Nasiru Lawal, to store the rice, who then decided to keep it in the market for safekeeping. The allocated rice amounted to 1,200 bags.
