The Federal Government Palliatives Committee for Kano State under the chairmanship of the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin has assured of equitable distribution of the 23,644 – 25kg bags of rice allocated to the state by the Federal Government to the needy.

The committee which has its membership drawn from the All Progressives Congress (APC) New Nigerian People’s Party (NPPP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), religious and traditional rulers, met at the National Assembly on Thursday to finalize the modalities for the distribution of the commodity.

Responding to questions from journalists after the meeting, Senator Barau said the bipartisan committee has worked out detailed modalities for the distribution of the palliatives to prevent incidences of diversion and ensure that beneficiaries are actually the most needy members of the public.

A statement issued by the Special Adviser media to the Deputy President of the Senate, Ismail Mudashir said other members of the committee included; Senator representing Kano South Senatorial District, Senator Kawu Sumaila (NNPP), Minister of State, Housing and Urban Development, Hon Abdullahi T. Gwarzo, Minister of State (FCT), Dr Mariya Mahmud, Kano State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Abbas, All APC House of Representatives Members from Kano State and Hon Kabir Alhassan Rurum of the NNPP, Kano State Governorship Candidate of the APC in the 2023 general election, Dr. Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, Director General of the National Productivity Centre (NPC), Hon. Baffa Babba Dan Agundi, Members of the Kano State House of Assembly and Hajiya Maryam Shettima Ibrahim.

‘’Also in the committee are the Deputy Governor of Kano State, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, Chairman of NNPP in Kano State, Alhaji Hashimu Dungurawa, Senator Rufai Sani Hanga (NNPP) of Kano Central Senatorial District, among others,’’ the statement said.

Senator Barau said: ” We just held a meeting in respect of a committee set up by Mr. President on how to distribute palliatives to the needy in respect of Kano people.

” You can see we have taken our time to create a modality that the palliatives will be taken to the people that need them. The mandate Mr. President has given to us is to make the items to be distributed gets to the people. “

The rice, according to the committee would be distributed at all the wards in the 44 local government areas of Kano State.

Senator Barau said the ward distribution committee shall distribute the rice at each ward to the most needy members of the public.

“Beneficiaries shall be listed on a sheet of paper, and each shall be given a bag of rice (25kg) after such a person is identified through a valid means of identification such as a National Identity Card, Driver’s license, Voter’s card, or international passport.

“The list of all beneficiaries with their signatures shall be submitted to the local government committee for onward submission to the state committee.”

It was reported that the new sharing approach may not be unconnected with public outcry of exclusion, diversion and rebranding of previous consignments of palliatives sent to the state.

DAILY SUN