Monrovia – The aftermath of the World Food Programme’s denial to  allegations that it charged the Liberian government US$9 million to distribute food items as part of stimulus package to aid Liberians during the State of Emergency lockdown, has been greeted with intense debate and discussions amid attempts to decipher a breakdown of what the government sympathizers and supporters floated on the social medium Facebook Tuesday, detailing how the money was disbursed.

Report by Rodney D. Sieh, rodney.sieh@frontpageafricaonline.com

According to a communication in possession of FrontPageAfrica, on June 11, 2020, Mr. Aloysious Tarlue, the Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia approved the transfer of USD$25,000.000 (Twenty-five million United States Dollars) to the WFP. The transfer according to the document was for stimulus package which, the government says is being  executed by the WFP.

The transfer was in line with what President George Manneh Weah told the nation in April when he submitted the stimulus plan to the national legislature.

CBL Letter: US$25M Paid to WFP

In that proposal, President Weah proposed that for the remainder of FY 2019/20 the National Legislature re-appropriate the amount of US$25 million to support food distribution to households in designated affected counties for the period of 60 days. “The full costing to cover this period in affected and other areas may add up to around $40 million. The World Bank has agreed to finance this gap off-budget to the tune of US$10 million, using resources reallocated from existing projects.”

At the time, the President said it was the government’s intention to have the World Food Program implement the program in collaboration with the government.

According to the CBL, the US$25 million was due to be received by WFP on Monday June 15 2020. The document from CBL showed the GoL moved all the US$25 million to WFP account and notes that the WFP would be responsible for procurement, logistics of moving the food etc.

On Tuesday, the government’s chief spokesman, Information Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe,  said while the government’s efforts to provide food aid to millions of people across the country, are reeling from the socio-economic shocks of the  COVID-19 crisis, some politicians have gone all out to discredit this honest humanitarian gesture to the Liberian people. “They’ve imputed motives for selfish political gains.”

The minister explained that the money for the distribution has been transferred to the WFP on the instruction of the government.  “The $US25 million from GOL and $5 million from World Bank. Money in WFP’s account can not be taken/used again by the government.”

Opposition Withdrew, Minister Says 

“The confusion is more of semantics and comprehension than substance. But politicians want to exploit. The public needs to be aware that ahead of the crucial senatorial elections, there will be all kinds of machinations to prey on the perceive gullibility of ordinary people.”

– Lenn Eugene Nagbe, Minister of Information

Added Minister Nagbe: “The WFP communications officer has said they didn’t “CHARGE $9 MILLION” as has been wrongly insinuated, which invalidates the claim on social media that they were billing the government U.S.$9 million dollars for the distribution. The WFP official told a local daily that 6% is their “standard practice”, and it goes towards meeting “essential minimum cost for WFP”. However, there are the costs of transportation, enumeration, warehousing, food basket purchase from farmers, wages, etc.”
According to the minister, the finance committee for the food distribution is headed by the World Bank and not the government of Liberia. It also consists of other international financial institutions, including the IMF and USAID.

 The minister accused the opposition who were invited to serve on the committee but refused, of playing politics with the issue. “The opposition was placed on that committee, demonstrating the government’s commitment to transparency. But they withdrew before the government even secured any money, apparently as a ploy to begin peddling exactly the kind of lies we are now seeing.”

The minister insisted that the food distribution committee set up by the president is only a policy arm while WFP carries out all operations and inplementation. “The confusing is more of semantics and comprehension than substance. But politicians want to exploit. The public needs to be aware that ahead of the crucial senatorial elections, there will be all kinds of machinations to prey on the perceive gullibility of ordinary people.”

Ali: GoL Explanation Not Adding Up

Mr. Mo Ali, Acting Secretary General of the former ruling Unity Party disagrees.

Speaking to told FrontPageAfrica Tuesday, Mr. Ali averred that the government’s explanation is not adding up.

Said Ali: “Breakdown of administrative costs for food distribution as released by the government this morning. Are payments for enumeration and other costed going to the routed through the WFP or done directly by the GOL? Does it make sense to pay the Steering Committee of the COHFSP (Food Distribution Committee) a whopping sum of US$297K (almost US$300K) for their services when the Committee comprises mainly government entities (as almost all opposition political parties have withdrawn)? We should note that the committee’s task is not operational and it involves mainly policy setting. The committee meets mainly through zoom. How can the committee defend said amount?”

Mo says the nearly $US300,000 allocated to the committee was one of the red flags that led him to turn down serving on the steering committee.

The committee comprises several cabinet ministers including, Commerce Minister Wilson Tarpeh as Chairman, Gender Minister, Wilhemina Piso Tarr, Finance Minister, Samuel Tweah, Agriculture Minister, Jeanine Milly Cooper, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Information Minister, Lenn Eugene Nagbe.

As the debate intensified Tuesday, attention shifted to the breakdown of the disbursement.

“Judging from the breakdown of administrative costs for food distribution as released by the government this morning. Are payments for enumeration and other cost going to the routed through the WFP or done directly by the GOL?”

– Mo Ali, Acting Secretary General, Unity Party

The breakdown showing a total of US$9, 638,848(nine million, six hundred thirty-eight thousand, 848 dollars), was reportedly doled out with several thousands of dollars paid multiple times to an unnamed Non-Governmental Organization(NGO) and 1.696,918 paid to the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) for the enumeration of houses.

A total of 2,092,694(two million, ninety-two thousand, six hundred and ninety-four dollars) was set aside for in-country transportation, 121,365(one hundred, twenty one thousand, three hundred sixty five dollars was set aside for casual labor while 52,800 (fifty-two thousand, eight hundred dollars for GPS installation service and a host of others.

Critics of the government are still struggling to decipher how on the one hand, WFP was tasked with running the entire operation and paid US$25 million but the Liberian government still wound up handling US$9 million for operational and other expenses. Did the WFP pay back some of the US$25 million paid to them back to Liberia to pay NGOs and LISGIS for their role in the distribution scheme?

The breakdown appears to have created more questions than answers Tuesday as many Liberians seek answers especially in the wake of WFP’s own assertion that it is not charging US$9 million to the Government of Liberia. “Any suggestions to the contrary are totally unfounded, James Belgrave, Communication Officer, UN World Food Programme in Rome, Italy told FPA Monday.

“In Liberia, the Government-led COVID-19 Household Food Support Program (COHFSP) has a total budget of US$30 million. This comprises the cost of the food basket (rice, beans and vegetable oil) as well as the costs of storing, transporting and delivering the assistance to vulnerable households targeted under the programme. A very small percentage of the budget (around 6%) goes towards meeting essential minimum costs for WFP to deliver its life-saving assistance – this is standard across all the countries where WFP works and is in line with international standards of aid delivery.”

Legislature Misled, Senator Says

Sen. Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence(Liberty Party, Grand Bassa), in a statement Tuesday expressed frustration at the lack of transparency dogging the controversy.  “When we requested the National Response Plan for the fight against COVID-19 from the Executive, we were greeted with insults including from the Ministry of Information. We requested details and a chance to question the MFDP authorities concerning the recast budget and associated sources of funding and contracts including of the WFP. Again, we received condemnation and insults, and were maligned as bent on working against the interests of our people. The recast budget was rushed into uncharacteristic  passage without required scrutiny and without our votes.”

 The Senator who is also Chair of the Food Distribution Committee in the Senate, said she has once more requested the contract between the WFP and the Government. “We have also demanded the Food Distribution Plan for the entire Country. We expect that we will receive a copy prior to any distribution. It’s disgraceful, embarrassing and shameful for the Government to say that the WFP is charging 9million for operations and WFP debunks the claim essentially as a lie in stating their charge is only 1.8 million. Should we determine that the Minister misled the Legisture, we will call for his dismissal, investigation and prosecution!”

MONROVIA – Senator Nyonblee Kangar-Lawrence (Grand Bassa County, LP) says it is disgraceful, embarrassing and shameful for the World Food Program (WFP) to debunk the government’s assertion that the international body is charging the government US$9 million as administrative cost to carryout food distribution across the country.

According to Senator Karnga-Lawerence, she and her colleagues were ridiculed when they asked the hard questions pertaining the US$25 million allotted by government for the food distribution exercise.

Sen. Lawrence: “When we requested the National Response Plan for the fight against COVID-19 from the Executive, we were greeted with insults including from the Ministry of Information. We requested details and a chance to question the MFDP authorities concerning the recast budget and associated sources of funding and contracts including of the WFP. Again, we received condemnation and insults, and were maligned as bent on working against the interests of our people. The recast budget was rushed into uncharacteristic passage without required scrutiny and without our votes.”

“It’s disgraceful, embarrassing and shameful for the Government to say that the WFP is charging 9million for operations and WFP debunks the claim essentially as a lie in stating their charge is only 1.8 million.”

– Senator Nyonbee Karnga-Lawerence (Grand Bassa County, Liberty Party)

The Grand Bassa county Senator and political leader of the opposition Liberty Party said the emerging reports of the US$25 million being a loan and controversy of the US$9 million being paid to the WFP as administrative cost could been averted had they been given the opportunity to perform due process before the passage of the recast budget.

While the Minister of Commerce and head of the food distribution committee, Prof. Wilson Tarpeh had informed the Senate the US$9 million of the US$25 million would be paid to the WFP to enable them carryout the distribution, the WPF Communications Director in Rome, Italy, informed FrontPageAfrica that the only US$1.8 million would be used as cost to carry out the exercise. This has raised questions regarding the Min. Tarpeh’s disclosure in the Senate.

“It’s disgraceful, embarrassing and shameful for the Government to say that the WFP is charging 9million for operations and WFP debunks the claim essentially as a lie in stating their charge is only 1.8 million,” Sen. Lawrence stated.

She added: “It would be a serious travesty if the Minister misled the Legislature. And it is sad that all of these could have been cleared up and handled openly, transparently, more accountably and responsibly by the President and the leadership of the Legislature. Blind loyalty, incompetence and partisanship are hurting the country and suffering our people”

The Grand Bassa County Senator is still expecting to see a copy of the contract between the Liberian government and the WFP and the food distribution plan before the commencement of the food distribution.

Monrovia –  The World Food Programm trumpets itself as having a  long experience in humanitarian and development contexts, well-positioned to support resilience building in order to improve food security and nutrition while helping the most vulnerable people strengthen their capacities to absorb, adapt, and transform in the face of shocks and long-term stressors.

Analysis By Rodney D. Sieh, rodney.sieh@frontpageafricaonline.com

In Liberia over the last 72 hours, the international organization has come under fire for what some lawmakers say is an outrageous US$9 million charged to Liberia to distribute food as part of the government’s stimulus package to aid Liberians during the State of Emergency lockdown.

Fuming Senators Cry Foul

The issue has caused serious division in the government and the country as many question the rationale of paying an international aid organization US$9 million dollars just to distribute food.

“The WFP’s $9M charge for $21 million food distribution is totally unappealing. This should not be allowed to happen in a poor country like ours. This is not free money! It is a loan that we, the people of Liberia must pay,” Senator Saah Joseph, a member of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change, representing Montserrado County posted on his Facebook page at the weekend.

Senator Abraham Darius Dillon(Liberty Party, Montserrado County) thought the entire scheme did not seem right.  “Out of $30 million for “free food”, nearly #10 million(1/3 or 33%) to be used for unexplained administrative costs.’  Something is Fishy.”

The issue was triggered last week when Commerce Minister Professor Wilson Tarpeh appeared before the Senate Plenary. Mr. Tarpeh, who also heads the Special Committee Overseeing the COVID-19 food and relief items distribution, made the disclosure that US$9 million would be used for administrative expenses.

Minister Tarpeh explained to the Senate that of the USD$30 million, USD$20 million will go to food cost while USD$9 million will go toward the operational cost. This is the plan and distribution will begin this weekend. WFP has informed this committee that because of the road condition they will use sea transport to get to the southeast,” he said.

Minister Tarpeh explained to the Senate that of the USD$30 million, USD$20 million will go to food cost while USD$9 million will go toward the operational cost. This is the plan and distribution will begin this weekend. WFP has informed this committee that because of the road condition they will use sea transport to get to the southeast,” he said.

A ‘Diabolical Lie’, Government Says

On Sunday, the government’s chief spokesperson, Information Minister Minister Eugene Nagbe told FrontPagAfrica that the fund is in the total control of the World Food Program which is spearheading the food distribution.

Minister Nagbe explained that the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) has instructed the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) to move US$25 million from the government’s account to the WFP to begin the implementation of the distribution.

The instruction from the Finance Ministry to the Central Bank, a copy of which FrontPageAfrica has obtained was prepared on June 11. It is expected that the transfer of the amount would be made on June 15.  

Minister Eugene Nagbe said the government remains focused on rallying and receiving international support to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 on the citizens. “The fact of the matter is that the government has transferred USD25 Million from the GOL Consolidated accounts at the Central Bank of Liberia to the World Food Program to implement the food support program. So, all this is a diabolical lie coming from Senator Dillon and other opposition leaders whose nasty politicking knows no bounds even in the wake of a national calamity like the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Steering Committee ‘Didn’t Do Liberia Good’

Liberians both at home and broad have taken to social media to voice their frustration.

Cheick Ousmane Toure posted: “The steering committee didn’t do Liberia any good. Whoever recommended WFP as the best alternative  didn’t do his /her homework correctly. UN has its own SOP that cover all US agencies, admin related to cost is prepared in line with the UN standard on how you want it. Hon. Saah Joseph, at least a minimum of  two international staff, P4 and P3 respectively will be required  to cover such a humanitarian intervention, package – all inclusive ranges from 15K to 16K per person will be charged, excluding logistics related activities. Life insurance coverage, a minimum of 1 million for each international staff in COVID-19 situation will be fully covered by GoL budget, not counting  staff DSAs and other related cost. The Liberian Red Cross would have distributed the food for a maximum of 450K based on their existing structure.”

Patrick Mbayo, a former Deputy Minister of Labor during the regime of ex-president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf said:  “To spend 9 million United States dollars as administrative  cost against  21 million dollars for food distribution  in Liberia would be a five-star self incriminating evidence  of cruelty against our own people. We are talking about almost 43 percent of the total money for food distribution  going toward administrative cost? This is unimaginable, and it doesn’t matter if the United Nations and the World Bank approved of this scheme .Public expenditure  should be an instrument for economic growth and development. It shouldn’t be a tool that perpetuates poverty.

WFP: Only 6 % –  ‘Not Charging US$9 million to Govt’

James Belgrave, Communication Officer for the WFP in Rome, responding to a FrontPageAfrica inquiry Monday, dismissed suggestions that the WFP is charging Liberia US$9 million to distribute food to Liberians during the COVID pandemic lockdown. To the contrary, Mr. Belgrave said, the WFP is being allocated only a small percentage, “around six percent.

Said Belgrave via email: “WFP is not charging US$9 million to the Government of Liberia – any suggestions to the contrary are totally unfounded. In Liberia, the Government-led COVID-19 Household Food Support Program (COHFSP) has a total budget of US$30 million. This comprises the cost of the food basket (rice, beans and vegetable oil) as well as the costs of storing, transporting and delivering the assistance to vulnerable households targeted under the programme. A very small percentage of the budget (around 6%) goes towards meeting essential minimum costs for WFP to deliver its life-saving assistance – this is standard across all the countries where WFP works and is in line with international standards of aid delivery.”

The WFP’S clarification contradicts what Commerce Minister Professor Wilson Told the Senate Plenary last Friday, tthat of the USD$30 million, USD$20 million will go to food cost while USD$9 million will go toward the operational cost.

The WFP’s assertion that it is charging six percent of the US$30 million, brings its portion to around US$1.8 million, raising questions as to how Minister Tarpeh came up with his number before the Senate.

At least two Senators confided in FrontPageAfrica Monday that they intend to request from the Executive branch, the contract with the WFP in a hearing Tuesday. Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, chair of the Food Distribution Committee told FPA, she will write the executive requesting the contract.

According to Belgrave, the WFP’s top priority is meeting the food security and nutrition needs of the most vulnerable and needy communities in Liberia. “WFP distributes food in a fair, gender-sensitive, accountable and transparent manner, to ensure that the most urgent needs are met in an equitable way, and that the highest standards of assistance are applied, providing value-for-money to our partners who support our vital work in Liberia.”

Over the past few days there have also been concerns that the WFP had not followed best international practice when it single sourced the purchase of rice earmarked for distribution to only one importer, SWAT.

“In Liberia, the Government-led COVID-19 Household Food Support Program (COHFSP) has a total budget of US$30 million. This comprises the cost of the food basket (rice, beans and vegetable oil) as well as the costs of storing, transporting and delivering the assistance to vulnerable households targeted under the programme. A very small percentage of the budget (around 6%) goes towards meeting essential minimum costs for WFP to deliver its life-saving assistance – this is standard across all the countries where WFP works and is in line with international standards of aid delivery.”

James Belgrave, Communication Officer, World Food Programme, Rome, Italy

According to Belgrave, WFP applies competitive and transparent procurement processes to purchase food commodities in all its operations around the world, including in Liberia. “This includes market assessments to establish standard costs, as well as robust scrutiny of vendors to ensure they are fit-for-purpose in terms of food quality and storage facilities. This safeguards the quality of WFP food as well as ensures that tendering processes do not distort local markets. WFP’s expertise in procurement is more important than ever in the current situation where the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have disrupted supply chains and created volatility in prices and availability on local and international markets.”

In April, President George Manneh Weah submitted a stimulus package to the national legislature in which he proposed that for the remainder of FY 2019/20 the National Legislature re-appropriate the amount of US$25 million to support food distribution to households in designated affected counties for the period of 60 days. “The full costing to cover this period in affected and other areas may add up to around $40 million. The World Bank has agreed to finance this gap off-budget to the tune of US$10 million, using resources reallocated from existing projects.”

At the time, the President said it was the government’s intention to have the World Food Program implement the program in collaboration with the government.

Loan or Grant? Lawmaker Raises Concern

It was in this light that the President announced the setting up of a COVID-19 Food Support National
Steering Committee comprising relevant Government entities and the international development community to provide oversight over this process. “This set-up is in keeping with the All-of-Government and All-of-Society approach we are adopting in this stage of our management of COVID-19. The Steering Committee will have an oversight role, will prescribe rules and address challenges, while the WFP will implement the program.”

Since the announcement, however, the food promised had not materialized. Multiple sources confirmed to FrontPageAfrica in recent days that the delay has been tied to a disagreement between the government and the WFP over the US9 million issue.

Over the last 48 hours, the issue has also been compounded by comments from Representative Samuel Enders(District No. 6, Montserrado), who expressed concerns that the US$25 million allotted toward the feeding program was actually a loan which the lawmakers did not sign off on.

Said Rep. Enders: “It is also misleading and very troubling  to read that the US$25 million is a loan. I cannot remember signing a loan agreement for such. We need to know how much loan was taken and who authorized the loan during the COVID-19 period with specific reference to the recast.”

As the debate over the millions allocated for food distribution lingers, a number of unanswered questions continue to linger. Did lawmakers ignore the fine prints of the stimulus package before fast-tracking its passage with a 5G speed? What would be the extend of the distribution when it finally gets underway and who are likely to benefit. More importantly, as the government prepares to open up the country on June 21^st with the resumption of flights, how much impact would the food distribution have?

It was in this light that the President announced the setting up of a COVID-19 Food Support National

Steering Committee comprising relevant Government entities and the international development community to provide oversight over this process. “This set-up is in keeping with the All-of-Government and All-of-Society approach we are adopting in this stage of our management of COVID-19. The Steering Committee will have an oversight role, will prescribe rules and address challenges, while the WFP will implement the program.”

Since the announcement, however, the food promised had not materialized. Speculations have been rife that the delay has been tied to a disagreement between the government and the WFP over the charges for the distribution.

MONROVIA – Montserrado County Senator and member of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change Saah Joseph has condemned the government for subscribing to the World Food Program (WFP) US$9 million charge for food distribution across the country to compensate for the lockdown imposed by the government to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

The CDC lawmaker express his disgust for the payment of the huge amount to the WFP on Facebook. He wrote:

“Colleagues, WFP’s $9m charge for 21 food distribution is totally unappealing. This should not be allowed to happen in a poor country like ours. This is not free money! It is a loan that we, the people of Liberia, must pay. #COVID19IsReal #StaySafe #SocialDistance #ProPoorMustSucceed.”

Senator Joseph is popular within the county and the CDC for his humanitarian gestures, especially during epidemics.

The disclosure of the WFP using US$9 million for administrative expenses was divulged to the Senate by Commerce Minister Wilson Tarpeh who also heads the special committee oversee the COVID-19 food and relief items distribution.

Minister Tarpeh explained to the Senate that of the USD$30 million, USD$20 million will go to food cost while USD$9 million will go toward the operational cost. This is the plan and distribution will begin this weekend. WFP has informed this committee that because of the road condition they will use sea transport to get to the southeast,” he said.

“Colleagues, WFP’s $9m charge for 21 food distribution is totally unappealing. This should not be allowed to happen in a poor country like ours. This is not free money! It is a loan that we, the people of Liberia, must pay. #COVID19IsReal #StaySafe #SocialDistance #ProPoorMustSucceed.”

Saah Joseph, Senator, Montserrado County

Senator Abraham Darius Dillon also of Montserrado County, on Saturday criticized the move with a Facebook post, claiming that something was fishy about it.

But the Government responded to Senator Dillon claiming that his post on Facebook was a “diabolical lie” and an attempt by the opposition bloc to derail the progress of the government.

Minister Eugene Nagbe told FrontPagAfrica that the fund would be in the total control of the World Food Program which would spearhead the food distribution.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) has instructed the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) to move US$25 million from the government’s account to the WFP to begin the implementation of the distribution.

The instruction from the Finance Ministry to the Central Bank, a copy of which FrontPageAfrica has obtained was prepared on June 11. It is expected that the transfer of the amount would be made on June 15.  

Minister Eugene Nagbe said the government remains focused on rallying and receiving international support to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 on the citizens.

“The fact of the matter is that the government has transferred USD25 Million from the GOL Consolidated accounts at the Central Bank of Liberia to the World Food Program to implement the food support program.

“So, all this is a diabolical lie coming from Senator Dillon and other opposition leaders whose nasty politicking knows no bounds even in the wake of a national calamity like the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Minister Nagbe also disclosed that the government has requested the World Bank and the WFP to refute the claims of the opposition, which he said is baseless.

MONROVIA – The Government of Liberia has debunked speculations on social media that it intends to use nearly US$10 million of the US$30 million apportioned for the COVID-19 food distribution on “unexplained administrative costs”.

Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon (Liberty Party) posted to Facebook on Saturday “Out of the $30mil for “Free Food”, nearly US$10mil (1/3 or 33%) to be used for unexplained administrative costs”. Something is fishy”.

However, Senator Dillon’s post emanated from the Minister of Commerce Prof. Wilson Tarpeh’s appearance before the Senate on Friday. He told the Senators that of the USD$30 million, USD$20 million will go to food cost while USD$9 million will go toward the operational cost. “This is the plan and distribution will begin this weekend. WFP has informed this committee that because of the road condition they will use sea transport to get to the southeast,” he said.

Commenting on the social media post from the Senator, Information Minister Eugene Nagbe told FrontPagAfrica that the fund would be in the total control of the World Food Program which would spearhead the food distribution.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) has instructed the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) to move US$25 million from the government’s account to the WFP to begin the implementation of the distribution.

The instruction from the Finance Ministry to the Central Bank, a copy of which FrontPageAfrica has obtained was prepared on June 11. It is expected that the transfer of the amount would be made on June 15.  

Minister Eugene Nagbe said the government remains focused on rallying and receiving international support to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 on the citizens.

He described the information posted by Senator Dillon as a “naked desperation” and “ludicrous allegations”.

“The fact of the matter is that the government has transferred USD25 Million from the GOL Consolidated accounts at the Central Bank of Liberia to the World Food Program to implement the food support program.

“So, all this is a diabolical lie coming from Senator Dillon and other opposition leaders whose nasty politicking knows no bounds even in the wake of a national calamity like the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Minister Nagbe also disclosed that the government has requested the World Bank and the WFP to refute the claims of the opposition, which he said is baseless.

Senator Dillon has held the opinion that using US$25 million distribution of free food to citizens across the country to compensate for the lockdown imposed by the government as a measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 would be more impactful if it were redirected towards paying the tuition for all grade school students across the country.

He opined on Facebook: “This singular decision would be more impactful and felt by nearly every home across the country.

“THIS KIND of intervention would also be needed and very helpful especially to all poor parents and self-supporting students, and same would give our people some time and space to prepare to take their own financial burdens for the 2nd semester and going forward.”