SEMA to penalise persons diverting relief materials in Plateau

Alhaji Alhassan Barde, the Executive Secretary, Plateau State
Emergency Management Agency, has said that the agency will penalise
anybody caught diverting relief materials meant for
Internally-Displaced Persons.
It would be recalled that thousands of people were displaced in
different parts of the state as a result of violent attacks and
communal clashes.
Barde told the News Agency of Nigeria in Jos, Plateau State on Sunday
that the relief materials were for the resettlement of IDPs.
He warned that any person who tried to subvert the good gesture of the
state government, no matter how highly placed, would be decisively
punished according to the law.
He said: “It is enshrined in the law that any person, no matter his
position, who diverts or assist in the diversion of relief materials
will be dealt with.
“Therefore, we have put measures in place to monitor the distribution
of materials to ensure that the end users get the materials and find
some comfort where they are taking refuge.
“Report reaching the agency indicates that some relief materials meant
for IDPs sometimes do not reach the target groups as expected.
“I, therefore, warn that this trend of event will not be taken lightly
in the event that such practices persist and are detected.”
Barde said that the state government, through SEMA, purchased relief
materials worth more than N187 million.
He said the relief had been distributed to no fewer than 30,000
internally-displaced persons in the state.
He told NAN that the agency had completed the distribution of the
materials in the Southern zone of the state.
He said: “For the past two weeks, we have been distributing the materials.
“We have gone to Wase, Kanam, Langtang North and Langtang South Local
Government Areas.
“We have also taken the relief materials to displaced-persons in
Shendam, Quan’pan, and Mikang Local Government Areas.
“The IDPs in Riyom Local Government Area, which falls under the
Northern zone of state, have also received assorted types of relief
materials.”
According to Barde, the distribution team will go to Bokkos and Barkin
Ladi Local Government Areas to assist displaced persons in the areas.