#EndSARS unrest: Sokoto govt never hoarded COVID-19 palliatives – Tambuwal

Sokoto State has no case of hoarded relief materials meant as COVID-19 palliative, the state governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, said on Monday.

Tambuwal spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting on the fallout of the nationwide #EndSARS protests which eventually snowballed into ransacking of many warehouses suspected to be hoarding the COVID-19 palliatives across some states in the country.

Sokoto State never recorded both the protest and the attendant mayhem.

According to Gov. Tambuwal, the state received two categories of COVID-19 palliatives since the pandemic broke out.

“There was one by Coalition Against COVID-19 (CACOVID), which was a donation by an ensemble of philanthropists, which distribution was a bit delayed months ago because the donors wanted the donations to be pooled. As soon as that was achieved, we distributed the materials under the supervision of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG),” the governor said.

“The other category were those items brought by the Federal Government through the office of the Minister of Disaster Management, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouk, on the 17th of October, precisely nine days ago.

“The little delay we had in distributing the apex government’s palliative was as a result of various requests by the Minister that she needed to be around when the exercise starts. She made the requests five times before turning up. So, it is not our fault that the items are still being distributed as we speak. It was the Minister who said we should wait until she comes. And that was what happened.

“I, however, appealed to the beneficiaries to cooperate with the distributors at all levels so that we will have a seamless and successful exercise,” he said.

He commended the people of the state for maintaining the peace in the midst of all that has been happening in some parts of the country since the #EndSARS protests began.

Appealing to the citizens of the state and others living in the state to continue to live in peace and harmony and continue to respect the individual rights of each other, Governor Tambuwal applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for sending his ministers to their respective states to meet with their governors to discuss the way forward in maintaining peace in the country in the wake of the violence that has trailed the #EndSARS protests.

He said the president’s gesture will in no small measure assist in maintaining peace and unity of the country, stressing that on its part the state government is working hand in hand with the Federal Government in order to maintain peace and harmony in the country.

He thanked the youths in the state for not involving themselves in the crises and assured of his administration’s commitment to continue with the execution of various programmes on empowering youths.

While thanking the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Saad Abubakar, for his fatherly role in preaching peace in the country, Tambuwal also commended the security agents in the state for their efforts to maintain the peace in the state.

In his address, the Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, said the purpose of the meeting was to engage the people who meant well for the country in order to fashion out a way forward to ensure peace and security in the country.

The minister assured that all the messages received at the meeting, bordering on peace, unity, progress and well-being of all Nigerians will be delivered to President Buhari.

He said before the #EndSARS protest, President Buhari had demonstrated his committed to the reformation of the Nigerian Police by enacting the 2019 Police Trust Fund, signing into law the 2020 Police ACT and other measures that have been taken to improve the services of police sector, some which hitherto neglect has sparked the protests.

The chairman of the occasion, Sultan Abubakar, said the meeting was summoned in order to discuss the security issues confronting the nation.

The Sultan also thanked the Northern governors for the steps taken in order to maintain peace in their various states, urging the youths not to harass anybody irrespective of their tribe or religion.

In his address, the chairman of the National Peace Committee, former military head of state, Abdulsalami Abubakar, who spoke through Archbishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, commended Gov. Tambuwal and the Sultan for maintaining peace in the state.