The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Monday differed with the former governor of the state, AdamsOshiomhole, on the alleged 30,000 bags of rice from the Dangote Foundation to the state.
Adams Oshiomhole, now a senator representing Edo North
senatorial district in the National Assembly, spoke on Saturday as a guest on a
television station. While speaking on nationwide hunger protests by Nigerians,
he claimed that about 30,000 bags of rice were donated to the state by the
Dangote Foundation.
Oshiomhole said the rice was part of the organisation’s
corporate social responsibility towards reducing hunger in the state.
He also alleged that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture
sent 20 trucks of rice to Edo State.
He, however, criticised the state government for allegedly
rebagging and rebranding the bags of rice with the Edo State Government logo.
Reacting to the allegations at a press conference in Benin
City, PDP
said the Edo government was yet to receive any rice, both
from the Federal Government and Dangote Foundation.
The Deputy Director-General, Media and Publicity, PDP
Governorship Campaign Council, Olu Martins, who spoke for the party, described
the allegations as false and heartbreaking, adding that Senator Oshiomhole is
“crying wolf” and trying to incite the looting of private warehouses.
According to him: “We listened to Oshiomhole, where he made
several allegations about distribution and redistribution of rice by the
Federal Government in Edo State.
“As a former governor, we believe he should understand how
the wheel of government runs. Mind you, when the President issued his statement
yesterday, there was no mention of palliatives as per rice going to any of the
states.
“Perhaps, the president missed it or it was still in the
offing because if you sent 20 trailers of rice to Edo, as they have always
shouted, it should come from which ministry?
“Perhaps from the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
And because it is government, there is a bureaucracy. Somebody should deliver
it from Abuja; somebody should deliver it to somebody in Edo; and somebody
should sign for it.”
He, however, disclosed that the Edo State Government had
released N2 billion for the purchase of rice under its Free Food Support
programme.
He said the money was released in two tranches of N1 billion
each and is being managed by Christian and Muslim leaders under the umbrella of
the Christians Association of Nigeria, CAN, and the Nigerian Supreme Council of
Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, in the state.
“The state government has a food support programme, set up
three months ago, and any other report of food coming from another place is
mere speculation.
“No 20 trucks of rice were received. There is no rice
anywhere from the Federal Government,” he stated.
Recall that on March 19, 2024, Aliko Dangote,
through his foundation, announced the commencement of the distribution of one
million bags of rice.
A press release by Samira Sanusi, an executive at the
foundation in Kano, announced that the organisation intends to disseminate the
bags of rice, valued at over N13 billion, throughout the 36 states of the
federation and Abuja as a measure to alleviate the hardships in the country.
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