••• As Council Distributes 850 Bags Of Rice To 17 Wards Of LGA
The Executive Chairman of Degema Local Government Area, Hon. Michael John Williams, has charged leaders and stakeholders to be equitable in the distribution of the State Government’s food palliative in their respective communities, across the 17 political wards of the LGA.
The Council Chairman gave the charge, Monday, during a stakeholders’ meeting at the Council Secretariat in Degema, where decision on the sharing and distribution of the food item was taken, with each Ward taking fifty (50) of the 50kg bags of rice.
Addressing the gathering, Hon. Williams emphasized that the sharing of the palliative should be devoid of political sentiment and party coloration, adding that its intent was for the items to get to the indigent and rural dwellers, who are most affected by the effects of the removal of the fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.
He stated that the rice was distributed by Ward basis to all communities, across the 3 political blocs of the LGA, namely; Bakana (Bloc I–6 wards), Tombia (Bloc II–4 wards) and Kalabari District (Bloc III–7 wards), and it should be shared without sentiment to every member of the ward, regardless of their political inclination.
The DELGA Sheriff noted that the essence of all-inclusive meeting was to ensure transparency in the distribution of the 850 bags of rice received from the State Government, on behalf of the LGA, adding that such transparency should be replicated at the ward levels.
Putting peculiarities in consideration, the Council Chairman appointed some leaders and councilors to monitor the distribution in the various wards, stressing that the various wards and communities must send credible and reliable personalities to the Council on Tuesday, to receive the items on behalf of their people, warning that the Council authority would not take it lightly with any reported case of hijack or diversion of the palliative by any individual or group.
He added that; “No special treatment or preference would be made in the sharing of the food palliative in the wards.
“Even if a community chief or political leader is interested in the rice, he or she must queue up like every other person and take exactly what others are taking.”
The Council Chief Executive assured that logistics would be made available to transport the rice to the various wards and communities, while the relevant authorities in the areas should work in synergy to ensure a seamless distribution process.
The Council Chairman appointed the LGA Chairmen of the various political parties as members of the Palliative Committee, which is headed by the Chief of Staff to the Council, Hon. Ipalibo Yellowe.
Present at the meeting were Chairmen of the various political parties including; Action Alliance (AA), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP) and Young Progressives Party (YPP), as well as representatives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Civil Society Organization (CSO) and religious organizations.
Others were; the member representing Degema Constituency in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Peter Abbey, traditional rulers and other top political leaders across the LGA.
Daerefa-a Christopher Braide
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Chairman of Degema Local Government Area.
