Hardship: Palliatives are being diverted by politicians – HURIWA tells Tinubu

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has reminded President Bola Tinubu that the renewed hope he promised Nigerians is speedily turning to a forlorn hope.

The group made the observation more than a year after Tinubu promised Nigerians that the economic hardship that followed the sudden hike in the fuel pump price will soon give way to renewed hope.

HURIWA, in a statement signed by Emmanuel Onwubiko, its coordinator, noted that millions of Nigerians are now without food and are on the verge of imminent death from starvation.

HURIWA said “The security of lives and property of the citizenry and ensuring their well-being and welfare are the essential components that constitutionally constitute the primary and basic duty of government even as the Rights group said the President must do everything under the sun to stop the coming mass deaths of Nigerians from persistent starvation created by poor economic policies of his administration and the heightened state of insecurity and instability in Nigeria.”

Newspot recalls that Tinubu had on Wednesday July 12th, 2023, in Abuja, assured Nigerians that the framework for palliatives to remedy the effects of fuel subsidy removal is being worked out, explaining that the decision to phase out the subsidy was taken in the best interest of the country.

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He said the decision would guarantee future prosperity.

HURIWA recalled that the President had said that his government would ensure a full-proof social security structure that will not be compromised, especially in cash-transfer.

HURIWA bemoaned the fact that “millions of Nigerians have become desperately poor, deprived and hungry” even as the rights group said the government has failed to resolve the troubling trend of alleged corruption and alleged large scale diversion of public funds by some suspended officials of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

It alleged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is plotting to sweep under the carpet the accusations against the suspended minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation alongside other high profile officials.

Besides, HURIWA carpeted the governors and other high profile Federal Government officials for “diverting and stealing the palliatives released by the President for the benefit of starving Nigerians”.

It asked the President to direct the Department of State Services, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to track and monitor the distribution of the 20 trailer loads of rice meant for each of the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT because, according to it, substantial percentages of previously released palliatives were stolen by top government officials and politicians.