Oyo Govt: Looted Food Palliatives Belonged To Private Company

Oyo State Government has said the looted palliatives from a warehouse in Ibadan did not belong to the state but a private company which is one of CACOVID vendors.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters and Chairman, Food Security and Palliative Committee of the Oyo State COVID-19 Task Force, Chief Bayo Lawal, said this on Saturday in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa.

The commissioner stated further that Oyo State is set to begin the fifth round of palliative distribution, which he noted was slowed down as a result of the nationwide protests.

The commissioner said, “We want the public to know that though CACOVID gave us noddles, spaghetti, there was nothing like rice. We are still expecting their rice up till today.

“The rice, which was looted, belonged to a private company that happens to be a CACOVID vendor for other states. The supply comes from various vendors just like our indomie came from Lagos and the supplier also is from Lagos. There are other items too. Some even came from Edo State. So, I am not surprised that we have some of their vendors here too, but the bags of rice were meant for other states, not Oyo State.

“So, the public should be aware that the allegations and all the information being circulated about the state on the internet are not correct. We have the interest of our people at heart and we even used our own money. If we can use our money to ensure that during the COVID-19 pandemic, people got palliatives from their government, why should we deprive them if there is any donation from any organization? Why should we deprive them of the benefit of enjoying it?”

The CACOVID vendor whose warehouse was vandalised, Mr. Alabi Femi Adeoye, decried the untoward situation, stating that the looted rice at the warehouse were meant to be supplied to Abia, Cross-Rivers, Plateau and Taraba states.

He said that his company, which has been operating in Oyo State in the past five years, lost millions of Naira to the attack.

“Oyo State Government was not part of the states we were asked to supply by CACOVID.”