Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has personally supervised the distribution of 30,000 bags of 10kg rice donated by the Aliko Dangote Foundation to vulnerable residents across the state’s 13 local government areas, warning officials against diversion of the palliatives.
Speaking during the distribution exercise at the Government House Parade Ground in Lafia, the governor directed that each local government area should receive 2,300 bags of rice, with council chairmen tasked with ensuring that the items reach the poorest residents in their communities.
Sule apologised to residents, particularly Christians, for convening the event on a Sunday afternoon, explaining that he needed to personally oversee the exercise before embarking on an official trip outside the country.
“I sincerely apologise to you for dragging you out here in the middle of the sun on a Sunday that you are supposed to be resting,” the governor said.
Governor Sule disclosed that Aliko Dangote personally called him regarding the distribution and insisted that the exercise in Nasarawa should be handled directly by the state government due to his relationship with the governor and the Emir of Lafia.
“In Nasarawa State, where he has my father, the Emir of Lafia, and he has me, there is no way he can send a representative,” Sule explained.
He assured the foundation that the state government would ensure that the rice reaches the intended beneficiaries.
To guarantee transparency, the governor said monitoring committees had been established at both the state and local government levels.
The state committee includes the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, the Secretary to the State Government, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and the Commissioner for Women Affairs.
At the local level, he said the committees include traditional rulers, local government chairmen, commissioners from the areas, political appointees and development area administrators.
Governor Sule also revealed that the state government had begun distributing 12,000 bags of 25kg rice donated by former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Ahmed Yari.
According to him, more than 6,000 bags had already been distributed to churches, mosques, associations and political groups for onward distribution to vulnerable residents.
He commended the Dangote Foundation for sustaining its humanitarian interventions in the state and for allocating a large quantity of rice to Nasarawa.
Earlier, the Secretary to the State Government, Labaran Shuaibu Magaji (SAN), explained that the rice displayed during the event was allocated to five wards within Lafia metropolis, with each ward receiving about 150 bags for ease of identification and distribution.
Magaji said each local government area would take 460 bags of 10kg rice for onward distribution to vulnerable residents in line with the objective of the foundation.
Responding on behalf of the local government chairmen, Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Nasarawa State, Safiyanu Isa Andaha, pledged that council leaders would ensure fairness and transparency in distributing the items.
“Your Excellency, we assure you that we will be fair and just to all while distributing this item to the most vulnerable people in our communities,” he said.
Umar Muhammed
