A Non Governmental Organisation, Policy Alert has urged Akwa Ibom State governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel to make known the criteria for selecting beneficiaries of the proposed second phase of Covid 19 palliatives.
The group said this became necessary following the high level of reported cases of diversion and corruption that marred the distribution of palliatives in the first round.
In a Statement signed by its Communications and Stakeholders Engagement Officer, Utibe Archibong, Policy Alert alleged that reports from its monitoring team across the 31 local government Areas in the State had it that little or inadequate portions actually reached a small percentage of the poor in some communities while the majority of the poorest and vulnerable citizens across the state never accessed the palliatives.
“However, we observe that over 50,000 bags of palliative items comprising garri, rice, flour and beans to about 3,000 villages across the state which the state government purportedly distributed during the first round of palliatives distribution were not verified by independent stakeholders.
“Also, the procurement of the said palliatives was not informed by any clear assessment of the real needs of target beneficiaries, neither was the public informed of the criteria for the selection of beneficiaries and the format of the distribution, which resulted in the process being administered in an ad hoc and highly partisan manner.” The group said.
Policy Alert noted that there were official reports that some miscreants diverted some of the palliatives meant for the vulnerable in the State regretting that, till date, there was no indication of government’s efforts to apprehend and prosecute the culprits.
The group added, “In the proposed second round of palliatives distribution, the State Government needs to ramp up the quantity of palliatives to be distributed and proactively publish the criteria for selecting beneficiaries
It however said if the criteria are being published, it would be easier for people, NGOs and other civil Societies to hold those in charge of the distribution accountable if they sense any act of deviation.
The group also called on government to include community leaders, civil society groups and the media in the Palliatives Committee as third-party monitors rather than depend on political middlemen as experienced during the first-round.
