Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, has denied receiving 200 truckloads of food items from the federal government.
Director General of SEMA, James Anam denied receiving the alleged consignment in Calabar at a news event Monday.
He said, “The news of 200 trailers of food items being sent to Cross River State has caused a stir. This has led many to believe that a significant effort was being made to address food scarcity in the state.”
According to him, the information is fabricated and designed to create a false sense of relief.
He, however, disclosed that before now in collaboration with the State Ministry of Agriculture, from the 24th of April 2024 to the 18th of May 2024 they received food items from the National Strategic Reserve.
He explained that they received 3,384 25kg Bags of garri, 24,000 25kg Bags of rice and 14,040 50kg Bags of maize.
SEMA, however, got Governor Bassey Otu’s nod to swap Beans (600 100kg Bags of beans and 800 Bags of 50kg Garri.
He said it was disheartening to witness the spread of such false information, especially when it concerns something as fundamental as food security.
The consequences of such misinformation can be dire, he said, because it distracts from the real issues and hinders genuine efforts to address the challenges faced by communities.
