PDP Reps Tell Speaker, Gbajabiamila To Send Donations Directly To States, Says FG Palliatives Not Satisfactory

The Peoples Democratic Party caucus in the House of Representatives has urged the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, to send salaries donated towards the fight against coronavirus directly to their various states.

In a statement signed by the leader of the PDP caucus, Ogundu Chinda, in Abuja, on Thursday, the lawmakers said the federal government’s palliatives announced by the president, Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday were dissatisfying and urged the speaker and the leadership of the House to send the deductions of their caucus members directly to their various states.

It stated: ” We align with the leadership of the House under Speaker Gbajiabiamila in the sacrifice of donating our salaries to assist our vulnerable constituents at this trying time but we must add that the Speaker and the leadership of the House should consider sending the deductions of our caucus members directly to their various states as we are most dissatisfied with the distribution of palliatives by the Federal Government.”

The PDP lawmakers also called on the president to open up the national food and grain reserves across the country and distribute food to the poorest of the poor in our country at the local government level stating that the palliatives were not far-reaching, while some were completely inapplicable.

Chinda stated: “The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly taken our country on an emergency course, unexpected and unanticipated at the beginning of the year.

“It is our considered view that the palliative measures outlined in the presidential broadcast and regulation are not far-reaching enough, while some are completely inapplicable.

“We must learn quickly from experience by ensuring that immediate measures on food security are ramped up.

“One way of doing this is to open up our national food and grain reserves across the country and distribute food to the poorest of the poor in our country at the local government level.

“The President should as a matter of utmost urgency, issue an Executive Order, pursuant to his powers preserved by Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution,  directing the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, National Food Reserve Agency and the National Emergency Management Authority to release and manage the distribution of food in our national reserves.”