At no time were governors of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) asked to await any further directive before distributing the palliatives given to them by the federal government to cushion the effect of the COVID- 19, credible sources have told Daily Trust.
Since Wednesday last week, hoodlums across the states have been breaking into stores and strategic reserves looting food items and everything on sight in the wake of the #EndSARS protests.
Besides donation by the federal government, groups such as the Private Sector Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID) and spirited individuals had also contributed food and non-food items even as much of such donations had not been distributed to the targeted people.
READ MORE: Why we didn’t share looted COVID-19 palliatives- Nigeria Governors’ Forum
The consignments were, however, looted in the last few days, a development that prompted some state governments to issue statements in which they gave excuses as to why they did not distribute the palliatives.
There has been a deafening silence from the presidency and the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Social Development and Disaster Management on whether the commodities “discovered” were actually hoarded by the state governments or not.
Individuals and groups had in the last seven months chided the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government over the COVID-19 palliatives said to have been given to state.
But one of Buhari’s daughters, Zahra, on Sunday aligned with Instagram stories that said the discovery of undistributed COVID-19 palliatives in warehouses across the country by youth revealed that her father was not the problem of Nigeria.
She reposted that the discovery showed that her father actually made efforts to cushion the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on Nigerians.
“Now that people confirmed that Buhari distributed enough palliatives nationwide, it is clear Buhari is not our problem,” the post claimed.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Umar Farouq, was also called out severally for allegedly siphoning the palliatives.
She is now seen as “a hero of sorts” as people paid tribute to her on social media.
Her ministry had at the height of the coronavirus pandemic said it had distributed assorted food items to states for onward distribution to the most vulnerable population but the claim was rebuffed by many saying they did not benefit from the gesture.
