Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Abdulkadir Azarema, said over 10,000 (50kg) bags of rice and other relief items are to be distributed to Uhogua Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Uhogua, Benin, Edo State.
Azarema, the Chairman, National Logistics Committee (NLC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said this in an interview yesterday in Abuja.
The gesture followed President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to the Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Col. Hameed Ali that all perishable seized goods should be donated to IDPs.
According to Azarema, the items will go a long way in alleviating poverty among the IDPs.
He said most of the IDPs at the Uhogua camp, known as Christian Home for the Needy, owned by Pastor Solomon Folorunsho were from Borno and Yobe States.
The chairman said that following the presidential directive, the Committee had been distributing seized items from Customs formations, as this was the fifth phase of distribution to all IDPs Camps, including Benin.
“We have just done the allocation in a letter dated March 5, to Benin IDPs Camp and the reason for the delay for getting their fifth phase of distribution now was due to logistics.
“You know it is not every time these relief items are available. It is available when seizures are made, they are then taken to the court for condemnation to follow due process.
“So far, we have given the following allocations to Benin IDPs, 10,539 bags of (50kg) rice, 278 bags of (25kg) rice, 202 bags of (20kg) rice and 135 bags of (100kg) rice.
“Seven hundred and thirty one cartoons of vegetable oil (5 litres), 12 pieces of Vegetable oil (2litres), 28 pieces of Vegetable oil (1litre), 2,981 cartoons of Eva soap, 13 cartoons of Liquid Soap, 35 cartoons of Cream Soap and 329 bales of second-hand cloth.
“Assorted used shoes 1,147 pairs, new shoes 3,024 pairs, 3,797 cartoons of Tomato Paste, 252 cartoons of Tomato Paste (Gino), 5,822 packs of Lucozade Boost, 600 cartoons of Onga Maggi Cube, and 48 cartoons of Corned Beef among others,” Azarema said.
He, however, said the Committee decided to allocate the 3,797 cartoons of Tomato Paste to both the IDPs in Adamawa State and those in Benin, rather than give all of them to Benin IDPs as stated in the allocation letter.
Similarly, Azarema said 1,147 pairs of assorted used shoes would be shared with IDPs in Yobe State, adding that only part of the total figure stated in the allocation letter would be given to Benin IDPs.
“The above changes were due to some observations made by the Committee, though in the allocation letter it was indicated that it would be donated to Benin IDPs but now only part would be given to them.
“This is one of the largest allocations ever made to the Benin IDPs camp,’’ he said.
Azarema said the items would be transported to the Benin IDPs camp by the Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport (NACST).
Azarema added that the Commandant of NACST had been informed to commence transportation of the items.
The Chairman said the Committee would commence the sixth phase of distribution in due course.
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