NLC urges FG to investigate hoarding COVID-19 palliatives

27 Oct NLC urges FG to investigate hoarding COVID-19 palliatives

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to investigate the conduct of government officials, who hoarded the COVID-19 palliatives and relief welfare materials and provisions, which should have been distributed to the masses during the lockdown.

The Congress, on Monday, called for the immediate release of the palliatives and other relief material secretly stored in warehouses across the states.

NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said in a statement, “While we condemn the ensuing mass looting of both the COVID-19 palliatives and non-COVID-19 palliative materials, we equally deplore the conduct of some government officials who stored away relief materials that should have been distributed to the masses of our people at their very trying times of need. We call on the Federal Government to investigate the conduct of those who hoarded the palliative provisions.

He said: “These relief palliatives and provisions are believed to have been procured by the government to relieve citizens of the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown and the associated hardship.

“It is obvious that the palliative provisions that were procured by the government for immediate distribution to the mass of our people at their critical time of need and to assuage the hardship occasioned by the lockdown were hoarded and held back by some government officials

“The reasons for this have not been made known to the public. We also understand that many of the palliative provisions are already getting rotten in the warehouses where they were stored.”

In order to forestall riotous plundering of the remaining relief palliatives, the congress demanded that the Federal Government should order the immediate release of all the welfare provisions and materials to citizens.