Operatives of the Katsina State Command of the Department of the State Services (DSS) have recovered 2,000 bags of rice out of the 20 trucks donated to the state by the Federal Government.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the recovered rice was allegedly diverted by some government officials.
NAN also reports that the gesture by the Federal Government was to cushion the effects of the current economic hardships in the country.
The DSS officials in the state, who confirmed the negative development, however, declined further comments on the issue and preferred to be anonymous.
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An investigation revealed that the 25kg bags of rice were deposited in a store at the Central Market, Katsina.
It was some people who alerted the DSS on Wednesday night, who immediately swung into action.
The Chairman, Civil Society Organisations in the state, Mr Abdulrahman Abdullahi, expressed shock over the issue.
Abdullahi lamented how the Federal Government donated the palliatives to the vulnerable but were allegedly diverted by some unpatriotic people.
The chairman vowed that they would continue to follow the case up to its logical conclusion.
He, therefore, advised the government to investigate the matter to punish those behind the diversion.
Also commenting on the matter, a resident of Katsina, Suleiman Kofar-Durbi, said that was an unfortunate development.
“It is unfortunate that I received the information yesterday night that the President provided relief to the vulnerable and some people diverted it.
“People are experiencing hardship due to the current economic situation in the country, the government should investigate the matter thoroughly and bring culprits to book,” he said.
The Chairman of, Market Traders Association, Alhaji Shehu Usman, said the rice was brought into the market by someone who was not a trader.
“Someone asked his brother to keep the rice for him in his stores in the market. We are calling on our members to be careful in receiving such items from people outside for keeping in the market,” he said.
Responding to the matter, the Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to Gov. Dikko Radda, Mr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the rice was allocated to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, by the Federal Government.
He said, “The minister directed the Special Adviser to the Governor on Infrastructure Development, Alhaji Nasiru Lawal, to keep it and he decided to take the rice to the market for safekeeping. The rice allocated to the minister was 1, 200 bags.” (NAN)
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