The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development says it plans to involve stakeholders like Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in future distribution of palliatives in the country for transparency.
Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development said this at a meeting with Senate Committee on Special Duties on Thursday in Abuja.
The minister who lamented that the ministry had yet to receive reports from states on how the COVID-19 palliatives were shared, said the ministry plans to re-strategise for effective coordination.
“We have not received any report from the state governors on how they distributed these food items; this has made us have a rethink and re-strategise to see how we can engage other bodies especially the NGOs in subsequent interventions by the ministry.
“Since COVID-19 activities are still ongoing, the ministry is devicing ways to ensure delivery of palliatives to the most vulnerable groups,” she said.
Farouq explained that the sum of N2,457,500,000 was released to the ministry in respect of the COVID-19 rapid response and it was part of the allocation of N32,457,000,000 allocated from which N30 billion was yet to be released.
“This sum is meant for the payment of N5,000 each to one million vulnerable urban individuals for six months,” she said.
On school feeding programme during the lockdown, Farouq said the ministry experimented the modified school feeding programme, whereby food was tailored to be provided to households with school children.
“The government had directed that we continue the feeding programme even while they were at home.
” We had data of where these children live and so the aim of the programme was realised,” she said.
According to the minister, the pilot experiment was conducted in FCT, Lagos and Ogun but however, in view of some challenges, it had to be suspended pending review.
Earlier, chairman of the committee, Sen. Yusuf noted that the meeting was interactive and not targeted at witch hunt.
“It is a fact finding mission to see how the Presidential Task Force, the ministry, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) fared in the process of discharging their duties and responsibilities as enshrined in the NEMA Act.
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