By CHARLES IWUOHA

Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) has warned governors in the region to ensure that the palliatives recently shared to states by the Federal Government are properly distributed.

A statement Issued on Monday by the President General of the coalition, Mr Goodluck Ibem, said they are keenly monitoring the state governments to ensure that the palliatives are not diverted.

Ibem, who said the palliatives meant to ameliorate the hardship occasioned by the hike in fuel price should reach the targeted people, revealed that the coalition has set up a committee that will monitor how the money and food items are being distributed by the governors in the zone.

The statement reads: “We demand that the state governors of the five South East states must ensure that they distribute the palliatives to the poor masses and not to their families, friends or party faithful.

“We demand to know how they intend to identify the poor people among us who Should be the real beneficiaries of the said palliatives.

“We don’t want a repeat of what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, when governors and government officials pocketed monies and stored food items in private warehouses while the people died of hunger and starvation, to repeat itself.”