Bayelsa begins FG rice distribution

The Bayelsa State government, on Monday, commenced the distribution of rice and other foodstuffs donated to the state by the Federal Government to cushion the effect of the harsh economy on the people.

The distribution of the foodstuffs was flagged off  in Yenagoa, the state capital with  Governor Douye Diri, at the 34th State Security Council meeting on Monday, ordering that no political appointees or civil servants should benefit from the distribution.

Last weekend, Bayelsa State received 20 truckloads of 25kg of rice from the Federal Government, for distribution to vulnerable people.

The PUNCH gathered that the state government had also been stocking some foodstuffs such as garri for distribution.

Speaking during the distribution, the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, said the governor had already directed that the items be given to vulnerable persons in all the political wards in the state.

Koku-Obiyal said the state received 20 trucks of rice containing 24,000  pieces of 25kg of rice from the Federal Government for distribution to vulnerable people.

“Today, we are distributing rice and garri. We received 20 trucks of rice from the Federal Government, which is about 24,000 bags of rice of 25 kg each.

“We are distributing based on senatorial districts. We are doing Central Senatorial District today, we are giving it to three local government areas of Yenagoa, Southern Ijaw and Kolokuma/Opokuma LGAs.

“Tomorrow, we are distributing to Bayelsa East, that is Brass, Nembe and Ogbia LGAs, and by Wednesday, we are distributing to Bayelsa West, Sagbama and Ekeremor LGAs.

“The food items we are distributing are meant for the underprivileged, vulnerable groups in society. The governor has directed that no political appointee should take this food; elected officers and civil servants are exempted.

“It is for people that have no jobs, the core vulnerable groups, those are the people that should get this food,” she said.

The commissioner further stated that the sharing would be done per ward, as each ward would get 190 bags of 25kg of rice and 30 bags of garri.

“The government is strictly monitoring the distribution at the ward level to guard against diversion,” she added.

Diri, earlier on Monday, directed the immediate distribution of the grains to rural communities in the state and warned that it should not be shared on a party basis.

“This rice has no PDP face or APC face. It’s for every Bayelsan. No one should play politics with the distribution,” he warned.

The Chairman of Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency, Walaman Igrubia, said all critical stakeholders from each local government area were involved in the sharing exercise to avoid diversion.

“Governor Diri has directed that all critical stakeholders in the local government areas be involved in the distribution. These items are for vulnerable people who cannot afford a good meal for the day.

“We are setting up a committee to monitor the distribution of the food items and if any government functionary takes any part of these palliative items for himself, the governor will frown on it seriously,” Igrubia stated.