Ijaw farmers in Burutu, Patani, Warri North, Warri South, Warri South-West and Bomadi local government areas of Delta State have alleged neglect by the Sheriff Oborevwori-led government in the distribution of the federal government's grain palliatives to farmers in the state.

It was gathered that the Delta State government had distributed the first phase of the federal government grain palliatives last week in Ibusa, Delta State.

The angry Ijaw farmers led by Mr Ganagana Francis, who is the financial secretary of the All Farmers Association of Delta State and the President of Ijaw Community in Asaba, protested before the Ijaw Publishers' Forum, IPF, alleging that they were sidelined by officials of the Delta State Government that were responsible for the distribution of the FG's grain palliatives to farmers in Ibusa last week.

Ganagana, who called on the IPF to intervene said government officials deliberately sidelined Ijaw farmers by sharing the bulk of the grain to their kinsmen in Delta Central, describing it "as nepotism taken to far."

According to Ganagana, in spite of Ijaw farmers storming the distribution centre at Ibusa, they were not considered, alleging further that government officials were converting palliatives to commercial gain for themselves.

He narrated that many of the beneficiaries who received the grain palliatives from Delta Central were not farmers, stressing that they took them and commercialised the palliatives.

The angry farmers said they had visited the office of the secretary of the palliatives committee, Barr. Igbojaro, about four times, coming all the way from Bomadi, Burutu, Patani, and in the process paying accommodation up to the four times they had visited him in Asaba, adding that he seems not to be having listening ear to their plights.

Ganagana threatened a massive protest at the State Government House if Governor Oborevwori failed to intervene in the coming days. 

While responding, IPF advised the shortchanged farmers to be peaceful as they go about canvassing for inclusion, adding that the group would write an official letter to the governor and call on other Ijaw leaders to prevail after proper investigation.

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