After a series of accusations and counter-accusations, the Edo State Government on Wednesday said it received a few trucks of rice from the federal government.
DAILY POST reports that Chris Nehikhare, Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, disclosed this at a press briefing in Benin City.
The Edo State Government, the state chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC had been at loggerheads over the allegedly looted rice at the Urora community in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area of the State.
The missing consignment included 30,000 bags of rice from the Dangote Foundation and 20 trucks of rice from the Federal Government.
Nehikhare said the Federal Government also gave directives on how to share the trucks of rice received.
According to him, on the issue of the Federal Government giving us rice, I will tell you, a few months ago, maybe early this year or late last year or mid-this year, they brought a few trucks of rice.
“They (the rice) were distributed according to the formula which they sent to IDP camps, to different people, to orphanage homes. You people should do the investigation.
‘Edo State Government did not touch one of them. It went straight to the local government and then to where it was designed to be given out. Edo State Government does not keep rice”, he said.
The Commissioner, who said the state government does not buy rice, added that the Obaseki-led government has spent N2.2 billion to feed the Edo people.
He said the state government provided N2.2 billion to religious leaders under the leadership of the Christian Association Nigeria, CAN and Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, NSCIA,
He said the money was used to purchase food items such as garri, yam, plantain, and rice among others to give to vulnerable people.
Nehikhare said the food item under the Edo State Food Support Programme was among the deliberate government policies to cushion the adverse effect of the fuel subsidy removal on the people of the state.
He added that the state government also initiated policies such as the provision of free bus service since September last year and the enrollment of over 250,000 people into the State Health Insurance to eradicate poverty in the state.
DAILY POST reported that the Deputy Director-General, Media and Publicity, PDP Governorship Campaign Council, Olu Martins had on Monday claimed that the state government was yet to receive from both the Federal Government and the Dangote Foundation.
Martins, however, described as false and heart-breaking the statement accredited to Senator Adams Oshiomhole, the former Governor of the state that the Dangote Foundation gave 30,000 bags of rice to the state government.
