Senator Ali Ndume, who hails from Borno State, on Wednesday called for the disbandment of the committee led by Ms Sadiya Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, over its alleged unfair and fraudulent distribution of palliative to the target audience across the country.
Senator Ali Ndume, claims his accusation are based on facts. He said he was surprised that with the large condemnation of the committee’s fraudulent activities by the Nigerian people, that the President still failed to disband the committee.
Senator Ali Ndume allegations trigged a swift reaction from Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, who challenged Senator Ali Ndume to provide proofs of fraud in the distribution of relief items by the palliatives’ committee..
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, stated that, “When Muhammadu Buhari was first elected President in 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari said that he belonged to everybody and belonged to nobody. What was true then remains true today.
“He believes in public service, as a servant of the people – and he expects the exact same commitment from members of his government and, of course, his closest aides.
“The President has made it clear times without number that anyone who will not, cannot, or does not pull his weight – nor meet these exacting standards – is not welcome in his administration. A number of ranking officials have been shown the way out at various times simply on account of this.
“Similarly, he believes in loyalty and truthfulness. Should any individuals be found to be serving themselves and not the people, then it is right and proper to call them out. But this must be done on the basis of evidence and proof – not on conjecture.
“It is therefore disappointing to hear a politician call out unnamed individuals in the administration and accuse them of unnamed transgressions.
“If this politician has evidence – then he should make public their identities as well as his proof. Innuendo is not proof.
“Similarly, simply claiming that the COVID-19 Palliative Measures Committee is not functioning as it should is not the same as presenting proof for such a claim.
“No one replaces an institutional government body in the midst of the global pandemic without clear and irrefutable evidence that it needs replacing.
“A press briefing from a discontented politician is rarely the source of such evidence. At this difficult time of the battle by Nigeria against coronavirus, everyone should help the fight and not seek to make political capital out of it, whatever his or her grievances.”
