Covid-19: I didn’t divert garri meant for YELGA says LG boss

The chairman of Yenagoa local lovernment area of Bayelsa state, Mr. Uroupaye Nimizuoa has denied the allegation making the rounds in some quarters that some top YELGA officials diverted the 1,300 bags of garri sent to the LGA by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to cushion the effect of the lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic.

NEMA had released 5,000 bags of garri to Bayelsa state and distributed to all the eight local government areas of the state out of which 1,300 bags were allotted to Yenagoa council which doubles as the state capital.

Meanwhile, after the successful distribution of the food items to the various LGAs, it was reported that the bags of garri meant for YELGA did not get to the rural communities but were allegedly diverted by some council officials for personal use.

It was reported on a Yenagoa based radio FM that the YELGA officials allegedly shared the foodstuff among themselves, family members, relatives and friends thereby denying the larger populace of the council access to the garri.

But in his reaction, the council chairman described the allegation as mere blackmail, stressing that the food items were evenly distributed to the various communities.

 The chairman told blueprint that twelve bags of garri were sent to each community in the LGA through the paramount rulers and CDC chairmen of each village.

He said “it is not true that the 1,300 bags of garri given to Yenagoa by NEMA were diverted by officials of this council. Those are road side rumours. I work with men of integrity and l have confidence in them that they cannot be so petty to share the food mearnt for our people among themselves.

“Since we distributed the food items, various community leaders have been calling to commend me and are expressing that satisfaction over the equitable distribution of the garri to all our communities and l have not heard of complaints from any part of the local government that the food did not get to them.”

He called on community heads in the LGA to ensure that their subjects observe all the preventive measures to curtail the spread of the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic.​

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