From Attah Ede, Makurdi

The Member of House of Representatives for Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency Hon. Terséer Ugbor, on Tuesday, raised alarm that, the palliatives deployed to his constituency by National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) through his office and confiscated by the Benue State governor, have been left damaged at open space and are being beaten by rain and sun at government house Makurdi.

Ugbor who lamented that the truck drivers have also been sleeping outside for almost a week, stated the seizure of a truck of palliatives by the state government which belong to him but meant for distribution to IDPs in his constituency was politics taken too far. The Kwande/Ushongo representatives who spoke to our Correspondent on phone in Makurdi said that he was yet to take legal action against the governor because he was trying to explore all the necessary avenues to resolve.”There is no further action yet. We are trying to explore all avenues to resolve the issue with the governor. Our only worry is that the palliatives are parked under the rains and sun which could cause damage. The truck drivers have also been sleeping outside for almost a week now.”I still wonder why the Governor would accuse me of diverting palliatives that I got approval for, from the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA.”Remember I told that I wrote to NEMA over 6 months ago for palliatives which were finally approved on August 27, 2024 for onward distribution to my constituency.”NEMA told me to make the necessary arrangements to move the palliatives to my Constituency. I made necessary arrangements between Wednesday and Thursday last week. I paid for the truck and the palliatives were moved to Benue State.”As soon as we arrived Benue, I had earlier sent a letter ahead to the DSS because that is the procedure that must be followed for monitoring and distribution of palliatives. I said even though the palliatives are in huge quantities, we do not have the ware house to accommodate such quantity and we do not have a centralized IDP camp where we can offload the palliatives in Kwande.”We have not made the necessary logistical arrangements to take the Palliatives to the IDP camps. I explained to the DSS and the palliatives came into town. We had agreed with NEMA that they will be kept in Makurdi for two weeks and within these period, we will make the necessary arrangements where NEMA and SEMA will be there to be part of the distribution on an agreed date.“As soon the palliatives arrived, we got an open place on Gboko road opposite Benue State University where they were to be offloaded.”But as soon as the trailer arrived, as we were still making the necessary arrangements to offload, we saw Police from Government House who said that the Governor said that the palliatives have been diverted. When they came, they thought it was SEMA palliatives but they were told that it is palliative for member of the House of Representatives that had just arrived from NEMA office in Jos.”They asked why we are offloading it there and we showed them all the allocation papers including my acknowledgement of receipt of the goods from NEMA and they asked us to go and file Police report. I questioned such action but agreed to file a police report which was stamped and sent to the Governor.”The DSS and the Governor’s security told him that this is not SEMA but NEMA palliatives meant for the rep member and there was no issue with it. I called the Governor to tell him that these are NEMA palliatives meant for me and they are in safe hands, and the day we will distribute them, SEMA will be involved but he refused to pick my call. I sent him a message and he refused to reply to my message and the next day he travelled to London for a program to attend Tiv Day this was since Thursday and every day the truck parks there, am paying demurrage.”The drivers are sleeping outside and I feed them. I called the traditional rulers to speak to him to allow the truck leave. I have spent over 5.5 million to get the truck to Benue. If I wanted to divert them why will I bring it to Benue and you still accuse me of diverting palliatives. Some of the items like garri which is over 500 are perishable; there are wrappers, mosquito nets, mattresses. One truck is in the ware house and the other seized. This is very embarrassing.