The Borno State House of Assembly has said it will soon make a law to stop and punish anyone who steals, diverts, or sells food meant for malnourished children.
This was announced on Friday during a meeting between the Assembly’s Health Committee and the United Nations Children’s Fund, which visited to discuss ways to work together on the Federal Government’s N-774 nutrition project.
The Chairman of the Health Committee, Maina Mustapha, said the lawmakers are worried about the way some people take donated food meant for sick and malnourished children and sell it for personal gain.
“We will criminalise the issue of selling out, taking, or theft of nutrition products that is being supplied by donor partners,” Mustapha said.
“We claim we are poor and resort to selling whatever has been given to us by donor partners. Instead of using it for our children, we choose to use it for our personal gain,” he added.
UNICEF had earlier raised the alarm that Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food meant for over 500,000 malnourished children in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe States was being diverted and sold.
The new move by the Assembly aims to stop this problem and ensure that all nutrition support items reach the children who need them.
Speaking on the N-774 project, Mustapha thanked UNICEF for its support and said Borno State is ready to fully involve the organisation in its plans and activities.
Also speaking at the meeting, the UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Joseph Senesie, praised the partnership with the Assembly and said the N-774 project would help take nutrition directly to children at the grassroots level.
“N-774 is an initiative launched by the government of Nigeria, headed by the Vice President, and the N-774 represents all the local governments in Nigeria,” he said.
“The agenda is to bring down issues relating to malnutrition,” Senesie added.
He explained that in Borno, which has 27 local government areas, they are calling their version of the project “End N-27” and will form a committee to represent all the LGAs.
Senesie also praised the lawmakers for planning to criminalise the diversion of nutrition products, saying it is the “right step in the right direction.”
The House of Assembly promised to make strong laws that will protect food and health items given by donors, ensuring they are used only for the children who need them.
