The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has started distributing all edible and perishable seized items kept at the government warehouses all over the country, to the orphans and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
TBI Africa.com quoted the Deputy Comptroller of NCS, Mr Joseph Attah, who was represented by Mr Kadiri Angulu, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Wednesday.
He said that the distribution was in accordance with the directives from the presidency to distribute seized items to the needy, in order to reduce the suffering of the less privileged.
“Nigeria Custom Service got presidential approval to distribute perishable items like rice, sugar, vegetable oil, spaghetti, shoes, new and used cloths, to alleviate the suffering of the masses.
“We are asked to ensure smooth distribution to recognised and registered orphanages as well as IDPs.
“The exercise started from Lagos, which comprises other South West states of Ogun, Oyo and Ekiti states.
“Then the North West states of Kaduna, Sokoto, Katsina, Kano, Minna, Zamfara, Kebbi and Jigawa states.
“After we leave Kwara, we will go to Zone C, compromising South South and South East states.
NAN reports that those who collected items in Kwara include the Orphan Support Centre, owned by Kwara Government, through the Ministry of Women and Social Development; Hope Foundation in Odofian; and Association of Disabled People in Kwara.
Others are the Association of Physically Challenged People, Kogi Association of Spinal Chord Injury, Niger State Flood Victims from Zungeru Local Government Area of Niger; and IDPs in Kagara, Suleja, in Niger.
NAN also reports that the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) Osun and Kwara chapters also benefited from the distribution.
The NSC said the exercise will continue till all the seized items in the warehouse are exhausted.
