Lockdown: Kwara residents lament politicisation of palliatives

- Some residents in Kwara say the palliatives in the state are only meant for APC members

- The residents lamented that compilation of a list of names of beneficiaries was allegedly given to APC leaders across the state

- The leaders were said to have also put in place a special consideration for those loyal to the state governor

A report by ThisDay indicates that some residents of Kwara state have lamented alleged politicisation in the distribution of COVID-19 palliatives in the state.

The people alleged that some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, had been benefiting more from the distribution of palliatives.

Among palliatives earmarked for distribution to the residents of the state are 19,400 bags (10kg) of rice; 19,400 bags of semovita (5kg); 1,940 packs of spaghetti; 9700 packs of salt; 4,850 packs of sugar; and 38,800 bottles (1 litre) of vegetable oil.

According to the report, political consideration had been a subject of discussion among those that have been benefiting from the palliatives.

Residents say the compilation of a list of names of beneficiaries were allegedly given to the leaders of APC in the 193 wards across the state.

The leaders were said to have also put in place a special consideration for those that were said to be loyal to the state governor before such name can be approved for palliatives.

The development was said to have caused a lot of crisis in some wards of some local government councils of the state.

Apart from this, some residents have complained about the quantity of the items being given to them, saying the sharing formula being used was nothing to write home about.

But some of the residents who spoke with journalists on condition of anonymity on the distribution of the palliatives, Monday, expressed dissatisfaction with the way and manner the distribution was being conducted in the state.

“The palliative materials that suppose to be for those earmarked for distribution is being turned into political patronage at these odd hours of the state when many of us have been ordered to stay at home over the pandemic disease that is currently ravaging the world,” a resident quoted in the report said.

“Our names were excluded because we do not belong to some of the support groups of the present administration in the state,” the resident added.

Reacting to the issue, the state governor, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, claimed that the issue was the handiwork of oppositions parties in the state.

He said the committee on the COVID-19 had been living up to expectations in the distribution of the palliatives to residents, urging those behind the issue to have a change of mind as this is not the time to play politics with the lives of the people.

“The state will require N6billion to distribute palliatives to the people of the state and we are just managing the scarce resources to rise up to the current situation on stay-at-home order,” he added.

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Recall that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had recently alleged that officials of the APC-led federal government are using the deadly COVID-19 pandemic as a gateway for corrupt profiteering and looting of the nation's treasury.

The party made the allegation in a statement sent to journalists on Saturday, April 11 by its spokesman, Kola Ologbodiyan.

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