By Sulayman Waan
Residents of Kerr Sidiki village in Upper Niumi district, NBR, have lodged complaint that they did not receive government’s Covid-19 food aid.
Barrow-led administration in May started distributing bags of rice, sugar, and gallons of oil to 84% households to help vulnerable families amid of the deadly coronavirus which led to the declaration of the Public Health State of Emergency in the country.
But the food aid distribution attracted criticism among hundreds of Gambians who complained of irregularities in the whole process.
Speaking to The Voice, head of the village development committee, Musa Sonko said his village has not received the foodies saying “We have spoken to those responsible of distributing the COVID 19 food aid in the North Bank Region but they only promise us that they will bring the food package to our doorstep.”
Ismaila Busso, head of the village expressed disappointment in the government for skipping his village. He expressed that “all the satellite communities have been given their share of the food package but we did not access it at the moment.”
According to him the residents wanted to go Kerewan to find out where the problem lies but the “district chief told me that the distribution committee has gone to Banjul to regulate the distribution of the food,” he disclosed.
He said his villagers are in urgent need of the food aid while appealed to government to speed-up on the distribution.
And NBR National Disaster Management Agency coordinator, Lamin Saidy, confirmed that the village did not receive the food aid package.
He however added that his team is making assessment to discover the communities that did not access the food aid to enable them reach every vulnerable family in the communities.
“We will make sure all those registered and with coupon will get their share of the food aid,” he assured.
