Governors of the 36 States of the country have dismissed the impression that they are hoarding the palliatives meant to cushion the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on Nigerians as ‘erroneous, inaccurate, mischievous, and untrue’.
Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, Head of NGF’s Media and Public Affairs, in a statement issued on Monday, after enquiries from Daily Trust, said the forum pleaded with members of the public to desist from spreading rumours which further created panic and stampede as a lot of the information circulating in the social media needed to be fact-checked.
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Bello-Barkindo said some of the properties stolen and vandalized included palliatives set aside for vulnerable members of society.
The NGF, which stated that no State had been involved in or had hoarded any palliatives, assured all contributors to the palliatives that prior to the looting of these warehouses, States had kept full accounts of all the items received and distributed.
The forum called on members of the public to check their facts, saying “While we all recognize the need for improved governance, we should be careful not to damage ourselves by pushing the wrong narrative.
“The State Governors are doing their very best under the circumstances to ameliorate the needs of the teeming population.”
The statement titled ‘Governors and the CACOVID Palliatives’ partly read: “The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has since the EndSARS demonstrations started, held several meetings to address the underlying concerns and members have aligned themselves with the call for justice leading to the setting up of judicial panels in the States of the Federation against Police brutality.
“The NGF regrets the loss of lives and property occasioned by the violent protests that erupted, and calls for calm.”
“The NGF reemphasizes and corrects the impression that palliatives found in warehouses that were broken into in Lagos and some other States were kept in storage for members of the society, especially our vulnerable citizens.
“The erroneous impression in the public domain that these palliatives were hoarded is not just inaccurate, entirely erroneous and untrue but also mischievous, to say the least.
“For the avoidance of doubt, some of the palliatives had the CACOVID stamp embossed on them, meaning that their source is unambiguous.
“As we know, CACOVID operations are mainly domiciled in Lagos, being the headquarters of most of the public-spirited organisations, corporate bodies and individuals that came together to form the Coalition Against COVID-19; CACOVID.
“Until mid-October, when the NGF had its last meeting, up to ten States had not participated in the flag-off ceremonies for the distribution of palliatives in their States. This was because the items meant for distribution in these states had not been completely received from CACOVID.
“Some other States that still had palliatives in their warehouses chose to keep a strategic reserve ahead of a projected second wave of Covid-19.
“Furthermore, as of a couple of weeks ago, some States were still receiving palliatives from the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
“The Nigeria Governors’ Forum stands for justice, improved governance and a progressive Nigeria.”
