From Bala TANKO, Jos
Plateau State was thrown into confusion, yesterday, following a protest by women on the premise that total lockdown of the state has resulted to hunger without any palliatives to cushion the effects, even as the government has directed those eligible for palliatives to go to their wards.
The protesters, mainly women, trooped out in their hundreds as early as 8:30 am yesterday and blocked Zaria road along Federal Government College FGC Jos. They marched through the major streets to register their feelings on the total lockdown of the state which they claimed had led to hunger.
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The majority of them wore black attires baring leaves, they obstructed traffic flow within the city centre for several hours before they were prevailed upon to leave the roads.
A cross-section of the women who spoke with newsmen said they were promised palliatives by the Plateau State government and were asked to converge at Government College on Friday adding that they waited throughout the day while nothing came to their ways.
One of the women said; ” After waiting for several hours, they later told us to come back today Saturday but on getting here this morning, there was no government officials and no sign of palliative. Several phone calls were put across to our link person but he refused to pick our calls.”
In his reaction, the State Commissioner of Information, Mr Daniel Majang said there was no need for the protest.
“As far as the government is a concern, there’s no need for the protest. The Committee saddles with the responsibility of distribution of palliatives know who deserves to get palliatives. I want to tell you that those who protested did not fall within the bracket of those who supposed to get palliatives because it has been domesticated down to the ward level and polling units across the state.
It is at the ward level that people will identify the poor because people know themselves. They should go back to their wards and also be mindful of the fact that there’s a ban on the public procession. It is practically impossible to feed the entire state.”
The State Commissioner of Information, who said civil servants will not be part of the beneficiaries of the palliatives, implored people of the state to be law-abiding and shun any act that can worsen the existing situation in the state and Nigeria as a whole.
