Rivers: Councillors, chiefs hijack food palliatives meant for Okrika LGA

Brave Dickson

Councillors, ward chiefs and other members comprising the distribution committee have been accused of hijacking the Rivers State food palliatives meant for the vulnerable indigenes of Okrika Local Government Area (LGA).

A source close to the committee, Tamunokubie Idasefiema who revealed the alleged hijack of the food palliatives said items meant for wards three and five were diverted to an unknown destination.

He said: “Government gave the committee 100 bags of rice, 100 bags of gari, tubers of yam and cartons of noodles.

“The committee shared only 75 bags of rice and gari to families and party faithful.

“While the remaining 25 bags of rice and gari were hijacked.

“In wards three and five, the food palliatives meant for those wards were completely hijacked to unknown destination.”

One of the beneficiaries of the palliatives, Roseline James told our correspondent that some families did not received.

While expressing her dissatisfaction, the beneficiary urged government to reopen their markets rather than giving them a cup of rice in the name of palliatives.

“The committee gave us half tuber of yam. a tin tomato cup of rice, gari and a pack of noodle for each family.

“The sharing did not get to some families.

“What will kill us in this LGA is nothing but hunger.

“We are pleading with the governments that if these ones they gave to us are what they call palliatives, they should reopen our markets for us,” she said.