The vans of rice given to states by the Federal Authorities as palliative has generated friction between the Edo State Authorities and the opposition All Progressives Congress within the state, writes ADEYINKA ADEDIPE
Nobody would have thought that the concept of utilizing rice as palliative, amongst different measures, to ease the hardship of Nigerians attributable to financial scenario of the nation, would generate a lot discord and talk about in Nigeria.
Following the 10-day protest in opposition to dangerous governance and starvation, which ended on Saturday, the highlight shifted to the measures the Federal authorities had taken to alleviate the sufferings of the folks and considered one of them was the distribution of truck a great deal of rice to varied states.
The rice was to be distributed to the Internally Displaced Individual, the much less privileged and “the poorest of the poor” within the society. At this level, the populace was wanting to know what occurred to the vans of rice.
In Edo State, the place the governorship election will happen September 21, the difficulty took a political dimension because the opposition All Progressives Congress identified that the state authorities was silent on the rice the FG gave to the state and puzzled what occurred to the staple meals. The truth that no official got here out to verify if the state received the rice or not, gave rise to speculations, which fuelled additional bickering between the state authorities and the APC.
And when the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, unveiled his meals help programme for Christians and Muslims over two months in the past with the supply of N1bn month-to-month to acquire and distribute meals, particularly rice, to the poor via non secular organisations, the opposition within the state alleged that the rice equipped by the FG was what was being rebagged and handed to the non secular our bodies.
Performing state chairman of the APC, Jarret Tenebe; Media Marketing consultant to the APC Governorship Marketing campaign Council, Kazeem Afegbua; a former governor of the state, now Senator, Adams Oshiomhole and Minister for Niger Delta, Abubakar Momoh, at totally different instances alluded to the truth that the state received 20 vans of rice from the FG.
The APC officers, who made the declare, had been closely derided by the federal government with press statements to counter them l. The truth is, the state authorities positioned a one-page advertorial in some nationwide dallies to garbage the claims of the opposition within the state.
Efforts to succeed in the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, via calls, SMS and WhatsApp messages to verify the place of the federal government, proved abortive.
Nevertheless, on the opening day of the protest, August 1, residents of Urora in Benin Metropolis, Edo State looted a trailer load of rice parked within the neighborhood.
In a 40 seconds viral video, residents had been seen working to a bit of a avenue in Urora and rising with mini luggage of rice. The one who shot the video was heard saying, “that is our rice that authorities gave us, that is had been they hid it. We’ve got positioned it. That is Urora. Have a look at rice in all places, come and gather your rice. Have a look at rice that Edo State Authorities gave us, that is the place they hid it.”
In one other video, a resident mentioned that the trailer was packed behind Bethel Religion Secondary Faculty, Urora, describing the Edo State Authorities motion as depraved.
Responding to the video, Tenebe mentioned the APC was not shocked by this discovery because the Governor Obaseki-led authorities had succeeded in changing every little thing he obtained from the Federal Authorities on behalf of Edo folks, to donation made by his administration.
Tenebe added that it was clear that the federal government didn’t care in regards to the folks of the state.
He mentioned, “In June, the Federal Authorities confirmed that the 36 states, together with Edo, have obtained 20 vans of rice, but Obaseki has did not account for them. In his regular misleading model of governance, Obaseki has transformed every little thing he obtained from the APC Federal Authorities on behalf of Edo folks, to donations made by his administration.
“He has achieved this by repackaging the rice and different grains in branded mini luggage with Edo State insignia. He has introduced additionally that his PDP authorities within the state spends N1bn every month for buy of rice.
“If Edo folks had been ever doubtful, the video that emerged on social media, the place an deserted trailer load of repackaged Federal Authorities rice with Edo State Authorities inscription was found by Urora residents, has uncovered Obaseki’s deliberate plan to deprive Edo folks from accessing the totally different palliative measures.
“We’ve got intelligence of a number of warehouses within the state hoarding rice and different grains meant for Edo folks. There are reviews additionally that substantial a part of the rice are being bought in markets by a outstanding PDP market lady chief.”
Nevertheless, Nehikhare shortly countered Tenebe’s declare, stating tha the state authorities doesn’t have a warehouse in Urora and solely distributed reduction supplies via non secular our bodies.
He mentioned, “The Edo State Authorities has obtained details about the looting of baggage of rice from an unidentified truck and personal residences in components of Benin Metropolis within the wake of the
#EndBadGovernance protests.
“The movies making the rounds are mentioned to have emanated from the Urora axis of Ikpoba Hill, Benin Metropolis and authorities doesn’t have a warehouse in that location. The federal government helps the weak with reduction supplies via non secular organisations, significantly the Christian Affiliation of Nigeria, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and the Edo State Muslims Pilgrim Welfare Board.
“The state authorities doesn’t preserve any reduction materials by itself however reaches out to the folks via these channels. We won’t put this ways previous the All Progressives Congress, which is spreading malicious content material to attain low cost political factors. This condemnable motion is meant to trigger chaos within the state and the APC is discouraged from such ignoble observe.”
With Edo folks not realizing what to consider, the Deputy Director, Media, Asue Ighodalo Governorship Marketing campaign Committee, Rev Olu Martins, denied that the Edo State Authorities obtained 20 vans of rice from the FG.
Martins added that President Bola Tinubu didn’t make point out of states who had obtained the vans of rice throughout his nationwide broadcast on Sunday August, whereas addressing the nation following the #EndBadGovernance protest.
He mentioned, “The Edo State Authorities didn’t obtain any rice from the Federal Authorities or Aliko Dangote Basis as being speculated.
“Thoughts you, Mr President didn’t point out in his speech that rice was given to any of the states. It might be that it’s nonetheless within the offing, as a result of if he despatched 20 vans of rice to Edo State, which ministry did it undergo? Which ministry or company obtained it in Edo?
“The previous governor (Oshiomhole) additionally made allusion to Dangote giving the state rice, which is annoying. He could also be saying all these as a result of APC has been persistently bashed particularly on the federal degree, not forgetting that the protest is in opposition to dangerous governance. The Senator is crying wolf the place there may be none and attempting to instigate folks to loot the place residents preserve rice.
“The Dangote Basis doesn’t distribute rice via the state authorities, it has it’s personal approach of reaching out to the folks.”
Including a brand new twist to the drama, Nehikhare, at a press convention, confirmed that the state authorities obtained “few vans of rice from the Federal Authorities.
Nehikhare said that the mentioned rice had been 25kg every and would have under no circumstances alleviated the sufferings of the plenty within the state.
He added that the vans of rice had been distributed in line with the checklist offered, saying they had been taken to native governments, IDPs, much less privileged, weak and others on the checklist.
“I’ll state categorically that Edo State Authorities doesn’t purchase rice. Edo State Authorities didn’t purchase rice. What it did is to offer N2.2bn to CAN to buy this meals and different objects – garri, yam, plantain, together with rice – to offer to weak folks, and that may be a deliberate authorities coverage.
“On the difficulty of Federal Authorities giving us rice, I’ll let you know, few months in the past, possibly early this yr or late final yr or mid this yr, they introduced some few vans of rice.
“They (the rice) had been distributed in line with the system which they despatched to us. The rice went to IDP camps, to totally different folks, to orphanage houses. You folks ought to do the investigation.
“Edo State Authorities didn’t contact considered one of them. It went straight to the native governments after which to the place it was designed to be given out to. Edo State Authorities doesn’t preserve rice. So, a misguided minister in Abuja is echoing the voice of propaganda of Edo State APC of speaking about rice.”
Nevertheless, a social commentator, Igbinobaro Odia, mentioned the state authorities ought to announce the receipt of the vans of rice and make public when and the way it was distributed. He added that such act gave room for hypothesis, which may make the state residents to not belief the federal government.
He expressed shock that the federal government who had failed to offer data or deny the receipt of the rice, got here out to say it had obtained it.
He added, “Whereas I commend the state authorities for the distribution of the vans of rice in line with the checklist it was given, I feel that not offering the data at the moment led to suspicion.whereas sadly, the difficulty was politicised.
“The arm answerable for giving replace on the federal government actions needs to be up and doing to information in opposition to this sort of problem in future. Giving out data on the proper time builds belief between the federal government and the populace.”