MURIC alleges corruption in sharing of relief materials by government officials

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has advised the federal, state and local government authorities to create feeding centres urgently in order to cushion the effect of the extension of COVID-19 lockdown.

It said this followed its discontent with the handling of relief materials meant for poor Nigerians, noting that the extension was the best option, especially with the new revelation that index cases had increased.

MURIC lamented that the method of sharing relief materials to Nigerians was not yielding results and therefore, urged the federal, state and local governments authorities to change their method of distributing the palliative items

“The idea of sharing raw foodstuff is not working, because it is being abused by corrupt officials and much of the food items are being diverted, as such they are not reaching the poor masses.”

MURIC’s Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, in a statement, said, “Government at all levels should device means of making the diversion of palliatives, cumbersome, unprofitable and unnecessary.

“This can be achieved by organising central feeding points in all communities at the local, state and federal levels. The same food items being distributed can be opened up, cooked and served in take-away packs for distribution to less privileged Nigerians.”

He added that it would be ridiculous for corrupt officials to divert up to a quarter of coked food without making a mess of their houses, stores and offices and so they would have no option than to distribute the take-away packs as prepared.

Akintola wondered why most senators and members of the House of Representatives were yet to visit their constituencies to find out what they need and how they were coping since the outbreak of COVID-19, reminded the Federal Government that Nigerians were hungry and that most of the food items being distributed do not reach them.