By Mustapha Kamara
The head of the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC) has dismissed claims by the All Political Parties Association (APPA) that rice distributed by the UN World Food Programme to the country’s Ebola affected victims was “rotten, expired and not fit for human consumption”.
Rtd. Major Palo Conteh told journalists that an independent investigation was set up as soon as they received complaints about the rice from the APPA.
He said their investigation showed that the WFP rice was neither rotten nor substandard as alleged by APPA, but rather “fit for its purpose of consumption”.
Conteh said samples of the rice were tested and proved to be of high quality standard. He described allegations as “unsubstantiated and malicious in nature”.
APPA chairman, Mohamed Bangura could not be reached for a reaction but he had at a presser earlier this month, described the rice as “expired, rotten and has the potential to kill more Sierra Leoneans”.
He had also claimed that “many people are afraid of consuming even the cooking oil that was supplied alongside the rice, fearing that it could be poisoned”.
He had warned: “as much as we are aware of the aid being provided by the UN and other organisations for Ebola affected victims, we as political parties are also concerned about the health implications these supplies may have on the country”.
However, WFP’s communications officer in Sierra Leone, Francis Boima had said that the agency procured their items carefully and from reputable suppliers “who meet international standards. Quality is something that we are careful about and that is why each time our food stuff arrives at the quay, we get clearance from local authority responsible for quality control”.
© Politico 21/11/14
