Edo Has Not Receive FG 20 Trucks Of Rice, Says PDP

On Monday, the Edo State Asue Ighodalo Governorship Campaign Committee refuted the allegations that the state government was given 30,000 bags of rice by the Dangote Foundation and 20 trucks of rice by the federal government.

The disclaimer followed the claim by the All Progressives Congress that the state government did not distribute the bags of rice it received from the Federal Government, following a viral video on social media showing some angry protesters looting a house where bags of rice were stored.

The Deputy Director of Media of the campaign organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party in the September 21 governorship election in the state, Rev Olu Martins, said a former governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, who made the allegation on a television programme on Saturday, only speculated to whip up sentiment against the state government.

Speaking at a press conference at the PDP Campaign Council headquarters in Benin, Martin said having been a governor and now a senator, Oshiomhole should know how government was run.

He said the feeding programme in Edo State was initiated by the government and implemented by the Christian Association of Nigeria, Edo State chapter and other religious bodies.

He said, “The Edo State government did not receive any rice from the Federal Government or Aliko Dangote Foundation.

“Mind you, Mr President did not mention in his speech on Sunday that rice was given to any of the states. It may be that it is still in the offing, because if he sent 20 trucks of rice to Edo State, which ministry did it go through? Which ministry or agency received it in Edo?

“The former governor alluded to Dangote giving the state bags of rice, which is annoying. He may be saying all these because APC has been consistently bashed, especially at the federal level, not forgetting that the protest is against bad governance.

“The senator is crying wolf where there is none and trying to instigate people to loot stores where bags of rice were kept.

“The Dangote Foundation does distribute rice through the state government. It has its way of reaching out to the people,” he added.

Also speaking, one of the spokespersons of the campaign council, Christopher Ojeikere, said the Edo State government had a feeding programme it sponsored and did not receive from the Federal Government or the Dangote Foundation.

“The fact is that the Edo State government has a feeding programme being implemented by CAN and other religious bodies. The fact is that the body was set up three months ago.

“The first N1bn released for the programme was judiciously used before the last tranche of N1bn was released. Every other story about rice coming from anywhere is pure speculation,” Ojeikere said.

Credit: Punch