Victims of the recent flood disaster in Kogi on Friday in Lokoja held a peaceful demonstration to protest alleged government poor handling of funds and materials donated to them.
The displaced persons, including women and children in their hundreds, left their camp located within the St Luke’s Primary School, Lokoja, as early as 8.25a.m and accused camp officials of converting relief materials to their personal use, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
The protesters, who carried placards with various inscriptions, also accused the state government of not releasing money donated by the Federal Government, corporate organisations and public-spirited individuals for their upkeep.
Some of the protesters, Mrs Blessing Sheu and Mr Abdul Aliyu, who spoke with NAN, alleged that the last time they received materials from the state government was on Oct. 25.
They also complained about the quantity of food being served them at the camp, alleging that the donated materials were being sold in the open markets.
NAN reports that an attempt by a detachment of policemen led by a Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Ibrahim Zaan, to persuade the protesters to return to the camp for amicable resolution of their grievances, was rebuffed.
The protest later terminated in front of the Government House where the camp leader, Bashir Dan Musa, and one Aaron Haruna were invited to a closed-door meeting with Deputy Governor Yomi Awoniyi.
The deputy governor is also the Chairman of the State Emergency Management Agency.
Briefing newsmen shortly after the meeting, Musa said the protest was sparked off by a rumour making the rounds that Governor Idris Wada had, at in a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja, claimed that victims of the flood had been given money and materials to start life all over again.
The camp leader denied allegations of poor feeding at the camp but admitted that some of the donated relief materials were being sold in the open markets by people he accused of sabotaging the efforts of the government.
On allegation by some of the protesters that they were last fed on October 25, Musa explained that the 36 bags of rice and 300 cartons of indomie noodles given to them on that day was expected to last for 10 days.
He said another 10 bags of rice and six bags of guinea corn were also shared to the victims on October 30.
Reacting to the allegations, Awoniyi said all the money received by the state government on behalf of the victims was still intact.
He said the government planned to use part of the money to build new houses for victims whose homes would be demolished while grants would be given to some of them.
On alleged diversion of relief materials to personal use by camp officials, Awoniyi denied the allegation but said that the government would investigate the matter.
