CONTRARY to insinuations that the Osun State Government had hoarded relief items meant for its citizens, the private sector Coalition Against COVID-19, CACOVID, yesterday, vindicated the state government saying that the delay in delivery was due to procurement challenges it faced.

The state government, during the Ede Warehouse attack, had announced that the food items that were looted were donations from CACOVID which the government had no authority to distribute because the CACOVID office in Abuja was yet to flag off the food relief programme in the state because the rice component of the donated items had not delivered.

But in a statement by its co-Administrator, Osayi Alile, CACOVID said: “In continuation of our efforts to conclude the delivery of all CACOVID food relief items to Osun State, you will be pleased to be informed that we have now secured the full consignment of the rice component of the food relief items designated for the good people of Osun State that was previously unavailable due to the procurement challenges faced during the earlier nationwide lockdown.”

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Reacting to the CACOVID letter, the Osun State 21-man Food and Relief Committee has urged residents of the state to trust the government, describing the current administration as a responsible government that prioritizes the welfare of citizens.

Secretary to the 21-man Food and Relief Committee, Chief Adebayo Jimoh, said: “The letter that was sent to the State confirmed that Osun State government had no intention to punish its citizens, as some people had insinuated. This letter confirmed our earlier position that there was no hoarding of materials by the government. The donors were not ready then, but they are ready now, and their letter confirms this.

“The 21-man Food and Relief Committee had through voluntary donations of its members, raised millions of naira to provide food and non-food items for citizens between May and July this year. This is different from the ones undertaken by the state government and the first lady at different times. “If these had been done at different levels, it shows the depth of commitment of the government and the Committee it had set up for that purpose.”

Vanguard News Nigeria