In reaction to the discovered and looted flood rescue palliative in Yenogoa, capital of Bayelsa State, the Director General (DG) of Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (BYSEMA), Hon. Walamam Sam Igrubia, has warned that the 2020 flood palliative looted by the residents are no longer healthy for human consumption.
The DG pointed out that before the invasion, the palliatives were brought out to be disposed since humans can’t have them again.
Note that on Sunday evening, August 27, residents of Bayelsa State broke into a private owned warehouse in Yenogoa, and carted away with the palliatives stored there. The palliatives which consisted of Rice, Garri and other food items were sent to the State since 2022, to alleviate the sufferings and harsh effect of the flood which rendered many homeless in Bayelsa State.
Speaking to newsmen after the incident, Igrubia further noted that the Bayelsa State government meant well for the people and has promised to distribute evenly, the N500 billion fuel subsidy palliative promised by the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He further pointed that the State was preparing for another flood this year 2023, hoping that its effect would not be as harsh as the previous one.
His statement reads;
“The Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (BYSEMA) notes with surprise and concern the unwarranted invasion of the premises of a privately-owned warehouse in the Kpansia area of Yenagoa, the state capital. “The incident occurred about 7.45pm on Sunday, August 27 almost an hour after the Director-General, Hon. Walamam Sam Igrubia, alongside some BYSEMA personnel, left the warehouse premises.
“During the 2022 flood in the state, the Agency used the warehouse to store food items. As part of preparations for an impending flood this year, the DG visited the premises, and in his presence, remnants of food items, notably rice and garri that were no longer fit for consumption, were cleared from the warehouse and placed outside for disposal the next day.
“The remnants, which were swept from the floor and packed in disused bags, were less than 10 bags of rice and garri and with some broken cans of oil.
“For emphasis, BYSEMA states that these items were not fresh food palliatives and were not hoarded by the Agency or the state government. “Importantly, these items are unfit for human consumption and a responsible, caring government like ours will not give Bayelsans such items as palliatives.
“In essence, there were really no food items to loot. So, those who carted away the unfit items are please advised in their own interest not to consume them. “It also condemns the attempt to politicise the incident by opposition elements in the state, who seek to score cheap political points from the ugly occurrence.
“The agency assures people of the state of its preparedness to handle the distribution of palliatives provided by the Federal Government as part of cushioning the effects of its fuel subsidy removal policy as well as the fallout of an impending flooding this year.”
Remember that the decision to eliminate fuel subsidies, which caused the price of PMS to increase from N190 per litre to over N600 per litre, is the cause of widespread hunger and hardship in the nation. This has left individuals with minimal or no means of sustenance, as the elevated costs have made transportation, food, and nearly all other necessities both costly and challenging to obtain.