Palliative: We are yet to receive rice – S/South NASS members

Some members of the National Assembly in the South have stated that no rice or fund was released by the Federal Government for constituents in the areas during the yuletide.

Reacting to the viral video making the rounds on social media, the legislators and residents in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Rivers said they were yet to receive such Christmas gifts.

The video claimed that the members of the House of Representatives received N100 million while the Senate received N200 million for rice to be shared with their respective constituents.

The video showcased Mr. Dekeri Anamero, Member Representing Etsako Federal Constituency in Edo, inspecting a truckload of rice meant for his constituents while appreciating President Tinubu for 2,400 bags of rice for the people of his constituency.

But the lawmaker, representing Abak federal constituency in Akwa Ibom, Mr. Clement Jimbo, said that President Tinubu was yet to release N100 million to the lawmakers, as speculated in the video.

According to him, President Bola Tinubu, or the Federal Government of Nigeria, has not released any N100 million to the House of Representatives members or N200 million to the senators.

“I am a house member; the person in question is my colleague, and the video is a lie because no such things happened.’’

Jimbo alleged that Anamero was aspiring to be the governor of Edo State, which made him buy rice and share it with his constituents.

He further alleged that the lawmaker tagged the rice with the president to curry favour from him and the party for his personal ambition of becoming the governor of Edo State.

Jimbo, however, said that the President and the federal government had plans to give the lawmakers palliatives for their constituents, but the plans were yet to be actualized.

He added that the process had not been concluded to release any money or palliatives to the lawmakers, stressing that ‘’when it is done and money is released, Nigerians will be informed.’’

Similarly, in Cross River, Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong, representing the state’s Southern Senatorial District, said that no NASS member from Cross River received any rice consignment from the Federal Government as palliative for the festive season.

Ekpenyong, who spoke through his Media assistant, Mr Charles Ekanem, in a telephone interview, said that he distributed close to 2,000 bags of rice during the Yuletide in his senatorial district.

He explained that the rice was not from the president but from his personal expenditure and a gift for his constituents for the festive season.

“I contracted someone in Cross River who is a rice miller to package close to 2,000 bags of rice that were shared among my constituents; that was my personal expenditure.

“The purported one from the President to the House of Representatives members and senators has not been delivered yet; it is still in the pipeline.

“Although some House of Representatives members have gotten theirs, I think it is those that have fulfilled the logistics requirements for the rice and it has been delivered to them; not everyone has received it,” he said.

On his part, Mr. Bassey Akiba, a member representing Calabar Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency, said he had not received any rice consignment from the Federal Government.

According to him, when he does, he will make it open to the public in line with his policy thrust of transparency and accountability.

He added that what he distributed to his constituents during the Yuletide as a gift was a personal act of love and compassion and not from the federal government.

In the same vein, some residents in Rivers said they were yet to benefit from alleged ‘Palliative Rice’ from the federal government.

Mr. Titus Jones, Vice Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers, said that there was no presidential palliative from the lawmakers during the Yuletide celebrations.

According to him, we heard that President Bola Tinubu had requested the federal ministry of agriculture disburse rice equivalent to N100m and N200m, respectively, to House of Representatives members and the Senators.

“We are yet to get confirmation from the lawmaker representing our constituency as to when we should expect our disbursement; that’s if the rumour is true,” he said.

Similarly, a traditional ruler who spoke on condition of anonymity said that some bags of rice were distributed during the general meeting of the Chiefs’ Council held on December 28.

He noted that such rice distribution during the Yuletide celebrations had since been understood as a demonstration of benevolence by politicians and well-meaning individuals.

“Last year, we got some bags of rice from some politicians, including the governor, Siminialaye Fubara, and even the former governor, Nyesom Wike.

“None of the grains distributed was said to have come from the presidency,” he added.

On his part, the Rivers Information Commissioner, Mr. Joseph Johnson, said that he was not aware of a presidential palliative during the festive season.

He, however, said that he was also looking forward to seeing the state benefit from such support from the presidency.