According to an eyewitness and indigene of the community, the food items and cash gifts were destroyed because of the "clandestine, selfish and greedy motives by the MD".
Emede community youths, Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State over the weekend destroyed food items and cash gifts sent to the community by the Managing Director, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Askia Ogieh.
SaharaReporters gathered that trouble started immediately when a white bus conveyed some tubers of yam, some other things drove into the community to distribute to some selected persons.
The other items in the bus meant for distribution are oil and a few bags containing rice, beans and garri and some cash in white envelopes.
The food items and cash gifts were said to have been sent by the commission’s MD.
According to an eyewitness and indigene of the community, who simply identified himself as Oghenekome, the food items and cash gifts were destroyed because of the "clandestine, selfish and greedy motives by the MD".
He said the community would not accept such "Greek gifts from a person like Askia whose aim is to score some cheap political points".
"Everybody in the Emede community, especially the youths, were shocked when we saw a white bus with some persons working for Askia, drive into our community. And they gathered some few selected individuals and began to give them the cash, and food items like 10 cups of rice, beans, and garri each, with small oil.
"Immediately the news filtered around the community, the youths mobilised to the venue, collected the items, destroyed them while the cash were torn into pieces and the Askia people who brought the items for distribution were all chased away from the community."
Another indigene of the community, who witnessed the incident but spoke on condition of anonymity, condemned in strong terms, the sharing of the items by the commission's MD, saying, "So that later he can boast that he came with a truckload of relief items to Emede just to score some cheap political points.
"Askia can never give out willingly without hidden and selfish political gains. Our people are not hungry. Even if we are, Emede has prominent well-to-do sons and daughters all over the world who can come to our rescue anytime, any day. Has Askia brought palliatives to Emede before, so why now?” he asked.
Our correspondent learnt that the DESOPADEC MD distributed similar items to other selected communities within the Isoko North Local Government Area of the state.
When our correspondent called Askia Ogieh for comment over the incident, he did not answer but a member of the palliative team who refused to be mentioned as he was not authorised to speak on it to the press, however confirmed the Emede incident.