The Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government recently announced that it has distributed 20 trucks of rice to each state in the country in a bid to cushion the effects of food inflation and rising general inflation.
The development has however stirred controversies with two states coming out to deny that they received such rice.
The Adamawa State government denied receipt of the said 20 trucks of rice as disclosed by the federal government.
The state commissioner of Information and Strategy, Iliya James, who revealed this during a press conference in Yola noted that only a fraction of fertiliser aimed to boost the current wet season farming was received.
“The Adamawa State government is yet to receive the purported 20 trucks of food items allocated by the federal government to the state.” the statement noted.
“However, the government of Adamawa State has been proactive in distributing relief food items to the people of Adamawa State overtime within the limit of its resources.
“The government also acknowledges the receipt in part of fertiliser allocated to Adamawa State and distribution of same is ongoing as they keep arriving together with the ones procured by the State government,” James said.
In a related development, the Edo State government denied receiving trucks of rice from the federal government.
This position was communicated by the Deputy Director of Media of the campaign organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21 governorship election in the state, Rev Olu Martins.
“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? He said this in reaction to reported claims by Adam Oshiomhole that the state government received rice from the federal government.”
The controversy around rice distribution comes amid #EndBadGovernance protests which seek an end to bad governance, cut in rising food inflation and general inflation across the country.
