APC chieftain faults Senate over comments on IDP funds

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a gubernatorial aspirant in Adamawa State under the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Alhaji Muhammadu Jibrilla, has described comments made on the floor of the Senate, last week, on management of projects under the Presidential Initiative on North East (PINE) as “misinformed and faulty.”

Speaking, weekend, Jibrilla said that the remarks made by some senators on the matter were not based on empirical evidences but rather “formed by hasty attempt to rubbish some individuals.”

Jibrilla, therefore, urged the Senate to rise against sentiments and resist attempts to use it to settle personal scores.

“The whole motion on the internally displaced persons and the PINE issue was on wrong premise,” he said.

“Facts and figures were distorted and unfortunately dished out to the public. It is an issue that is bound to touch sensibilities and emotions, which was the target.

“However, the Senate did not scratch beyond the dummy it was sold, it would have discovered the truth. From my independent findings, I can say that there is no truth in the claim that there were bogus contracts or misplaced priorities.”

He said that records of food supply and disbursements were kept with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

“Rehabilitations of schools and police stations, for example, were carried as a first step in resettling IDPs,” he said.

“IDPs are not meant to remain temporary camps forever. And for them to resettle there should be presence of civil authorities in those areas and schools for their children to attend.”