Gyang Bere, Jos
The Minister of Women Affairs, Dame, Pauline Tallen has made clarifications that the food relief that was vandalized and looted in Plateau State on Saturday were Federal Government palliative delivered by Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Social Development and Disaster Management, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq to vulnerable persons on Plateau few days before the ENDSERS protests began.
She noted that the food relief was not part of the palliative presented to the State Government during the COVID-19 lockdown as alleged by some individuals.
Tallen in a press statement said the food relief was not hoarded as claimed by some people and said the materials were delivered shortly before the ENDSERS protests began in the state.
She said the food relief carted away by a mob of citizens was brought by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Social Development and Disaster Management, Hon. Sadiya Farouk on the 16 October, 2020 when she (Tallen) accompanied her to the state.
According to her, the food relief particularly the ones stored at the state National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) were meant for distribution to vulnerable and poorest of the poor women in the state.
She said some of the food relief were shared recently to orphanages and groups of vulnerable women in the state, and when she was running out of stock to reach all communities in the state, she pleaded with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs for more support, and which granted.
Tallen said she had directed for the distribution of the food relief, but was halted due to the protests and skirmishes that led to the imposition of curfew.
The Minister said her efforts was for the food stuff to reach households through women who are the keepers of the home to take care of their families.
She appealed to the youths on the Plateau to shun being tools and agents of destruction saying that they have a listening President that will hear their grievances and acts swiftly.
Tallen further appealed to parents to prevail on their wards not to be use as agents of destruction but agents of change for a better Nigeria.
She said, “This is a rebirth of a new order in Nigeria with the youth at the front burner of affairs, but my appeal is for restraint to enable us take appropriate decisions that could be used collectively or selectively in resolving the issues raised.”
Tallen commended Governor Simon Lalong in stemming further vandalization of properties and infrastructures by extending the curfew to 24 hours.
