Victims of the Yola flood disaster have urged Governor Ahmadu Fintiri and other relevant agencies to investigate the sharing of expired food items by the Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency to some victims.
The Yola flood which occurred two weeks ago affected over 4,000 households claiming 23 lives and destroying property including livestock and farmlands.
A cross-section of the victims who received government support on Saturday said that most of the food items given to them were expired and not fit for consumption.
They said it was unfortunate for a government agency that ought to know to be sharing expired food items not fit for consumption to the populace.
“I was given a 25 kg bag of rice, sugar, two litres of vegetable oil, a carton of spaghetti, a bag of maize and two plastic mats. Except for the oil and mats, other things have expired. However, some people say the rice is manageable. The maize has a lot of tiny insects inside it,” a housewife Khadija Ahmed said.
Another woman, Habiba Abdullahi, said she has no option but to manage the rice by boiling it twice.
“I have discarded the spaghetti and maize. I am however managing the rice by boiling it twice to reduce any risk. For the sugar, which is looking wet, I have yet to decide whether to use it or not, not knowing why it is wet; It might have been because of contaminated water or something else,” Ms Abdullahi said.
She urged investigation into the development for possible replacement of expired items.
Ishaku kaigama, called for a thorough investigation to punish those responsible.
“During the distribution they claimed they bought the items. Why should someone go and buy expired things? Governor Fintiri needs to set up a committee to investigate this and direct them to replace the expired items with good ones. Some are throwing away their shares in anger and raining curses, but I keep advising them to keep them in case the government will ask for evidence”, Kaigama said.
Some other recipients such as Bello Uba, Rhoda Isaac and Yakubu Zira who also called for investigation, urged the government to amend by asking people to return the expired food items for replacement.
“One of the best ways to address this problem since affected people are hungry is to ask us to return the expired items for replacement. My fear is that some hungry people without alternatives are consuming them which is dangerous,” Zira said.
Also speaking, a Disaster Manager, Suleiman Abubakar, who also urged the government to investigate the allegation by the victims, said the distribution of expired food posed health risks.
He said, “This negligence can severely affect recipients’ health, particularly vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. Consuming expired food can lead to food poisoning, stomach infections, and other health issues. The government must ensure all relief items are safe and usable.’’.
Mr Suleiman urged the government to identify and punish those responsible for negligence if proven, including any officials or individuals who may have been involved in the procurement or distribution of the expired items.
He said, “The government needs to take immediate action to rectify the situation and prevent future occurrences, including reviewing and strengthening its procurement and distribution processes.”
Contacted, the Executive Secretary of Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA), Dr Celine La’ori, simply said the allegations of expired food items was a mischief by the opposition group trying to play politics with the flood disaster.
She said the state government did everything possible to cushion the effects of the disaster and deserved commendation.
She stated, “This is purely the work of the opposition. We have distributed enough relief items to the victims, why do some people want to create problems where there is none.’’
(NAN)
