No One Should Consume Looted Palliatives; They Are Expired Food Items – Bayelsa Government Reacts To Invasion Of Warehouse | #NwokeukwuMascot

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The Bayelsa State government has disclosed that the palliatives carted away by residents in Yenagoa, the state capital, who invaded warehouse are unfit for human consumption.

SaharaReporters had reported how some residents broke into a warehouse where palliatives were kept by the Bayelsa State government in Yenagoa on Sunday.

The warehouse is located along Isaac Boro Expressway in the state capital.

SaharaReporters gathered that people were angered due to the hardship in the country occasioned by the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol.

The subsidy removal moved up the prices of petrol from around N190 to about N620 per litre and this had adversely affected the prices of goods and services.

Subsequently, the administration of President Bola Tinubu promised to provide palliatives for Nigerians to cushion the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy. It later announced that N5 billion would be provided for each state and the Federal Capital Territory and foodstuffs to be shared among Nigerians.

It was not clear if the warehouse looted in Yenagoa housed food items promised by Tinubu’s administration but SaharaReporters confirmed that it contained palliatives meant for victims of the 2022 flooding, which has been described as one of the worst floods in Nigeria's history.

However, the Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (BYSEMA) in a statement signed by its Director-General, Walamam Sam Igrubia, condemning the action of the yet-to-be-identified persons that invaded the premises of a private warehouse.

BYSEMA asserted that the items were unfit for human consumption, stressing that a responsible and caring government would not give Bayelsans such items as palliatives.

"The Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (BYSEMA) notes with surprise and concern the unwarranted invasion of the premises of a privately-owned warehouse in the Kpansia area of Yenagoa, the state capital.

"The incident occurred about 7.45pm on Sunday, August 27 almost an hour after the Director-General, Walamam Sam Igrubia, alongside some BYSEMA personnel, left the warehouse premises.

"During the 2022 flood in the state, the Agency used the warehouse to store food items. As part of preparations for an impending flood this year, the DG visited the premises, and in his presence, remnants of food items, notably rice and garri that were no longer fit for consumption, were cleared from the warehouse and placed outside for disposal the next day.

"The remnants, which were swept from the floor and packed in disused bags, were less than 10 bags of rice and garri and with some broken cans of oil. For emphasis, BYSEMA states that these items were not fresh food palliatives and were not hoarded by the Agency or the state government.

"Importantly, these items are unfit for human consumption and a responsible, caring government like ours will not give Bayelsans such items as palliatives.

"In essence, there were really no food items to loot. So, those who carted away the unfit items are please advised in their own interest not to consume them. BYSEMA equally condemns the action of the yet-to-be-identified persons that invaded the premises of a private warehouse on Sunday.

"It also condemns the attempt to politicise the incident by opposition elements in the state, who seek to score cheap political points from the ugly occurrence.

"The Agency assures people of the state of its preparedness to handle the distribution of palliatives provided by the Federal Government as part of cushioning the effects of its fuel subsidy removal policy as well as the fallout of an impending flooding this year," the statement added.