By Amos Aar
THE PALLIATIVES for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the vulnerable in Kwande/Ushongo federal constituency facilitated by House of Representatives member, Hon. Terseer Ugbor, which was a seized by Governor Hyacinth Alia over alleged diversion to a private residence in Makurdi were on Friday distributed to the beneficiaries at Jato Aka and Adikpo, Kwande LGA.
The truckload of palliatives which was confiscated on September 11, 2024 and conveyed to government house, Makurdi was handed over to anti-graft agencies on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 by Governor Hyacinth Alia for investigation and on Thursday, September 19, 2024, the alleged diverted palliatives were moved to Kwande LG by the Benue State government for distribution.
Although there was no noticeable announcement on how the probe went, Principal Special Assistant (PSA) to the governor on Media and Content Creation, Isaac Uzaan, said “the controversies surrounding the relief materials due to breach of protocols have been resolved and the materials were taken to Kwande and peacefully distributed to the affected persons.”
According to Uzaan, the distribution was done by the federal government in collaboration with the Benue State government for the IDPs and other vulnerable persons in Kwande and Ushongo Local Government Areas.
He said: “the Acting Executive Secretary, Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Sir James Iorpuu, the representative of NEMA, Eugene Nyelong, representatives of Hon. Terseer Ugbor led by Francis Ajai, the DSS, EFCC, and traditional rulers were amongst those who witnessed the distribution.
“Speaking during the distribution, the Acting Executive Secretary of SEMA, Sir James Iorpuu thanked the federal government for providing emergency response and fostering self-reliance for displaced and vulnerable persons in Kwande and Ushongo Local Government Areas.
“He also extended the appreciation of Benue State Government to Hon. Terseer Ugbor for his efforts in lobbying the materials for his constituents, adding however that due process should always be followed to avoid the controversies that came out prior to the distribution of the materials.
“Also, the representative of NEMA, Eugene Nyelong thanked Benue State Government for ensuring fair and transparent distribution of the materials.
“According to the sharing formula given by Hon. Terseer Ugbor, the IDPs and vulnerable people in Kwande took 60% of the materials while 40% was given to Ushongo.
“The materials distributed include rice, garri, seasoning cubes, groundnut oil, sachet tomatoes, mosquito nets, wrappers and mattresses,” Uzaan said.
