Rumpus Over Tinubu’s Christmas Rice As Senators Deny Palliative

Two senators from Akwa Ibom State have denied receiving food items including Christmas rice from the President Bola Tinubu led federal government for onward distribution to their constituents.

GWG.ng had quoted a presidential aide as saying that President Tinubu had approved that each senator receive ‘’palliative items worth N200 million, while each member of the House of Representatives got N100 million worth of food items from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture’’.

The report went further to state that Mr. Dada Olusegun, a presidential aide, had confirmed that President Bola Tinubu had directed the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to make the items available to the National Assembly members.

But the senators from Akwa Ibom have flatly denied receiving such items from the federal government. ‘’I haven’t received any palliative or a dime’’, Senator Bassey told me, adding, ‘’I raised a facility from Access Bank to buy rice and celebrate with my people. it is verifiable from the bank and I can equally submit myself to any form of investigation’’. Bassey represents by senatorial district in the senate.

Senator Ekong Sampson, who represents Akwa Ibom South, is also denying the story. ‘’It is not true, my brother’’, he told me curtly when I contacted him this evening. When pressed further, he asked me to make further inquiries from the Office of the Senate President. But Mr. Eseme Eyibo, the Special Adviser to the Senate President on Strategic Communications, did not respond to messages I sent to him on this.

This story is creating considerable excitement among some people given the surge of online videos showing some persons affirming receipts of food items from President Tinubu.

I have seen a video of Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo State announcing that the President had sent truckloads of rice to Imo citizens for Christmas celebrations. ‘’This rice is a personal gift from Mr. President to Imo people. It is not from the federal government’’, Gov. Uzodinma said, emphasizing that the gesture is borne out of the President’s love for Christians.

Akwa Ibom State government has not announced receiving such items from the President. There is also another video of a man whose name was not given but who is said to be a member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, showing off bags of rice purportedly sent to him by President Tinubu for onward distribution to his constituents. I have not independently verified the authenticity of the video.

There is also another reason why the online story appeared believable. Given the huge quantities of rice distributed by some politicians to their constituents this season, the story has gained traction among Akwa Ibom people on many online platforms. Even before the story broke this evening, I had called Senator Sampson to commend him for celebrating with his people.

Reports said that he gave out 50 bags of rice to each of the 12 LGAs in his district, in addition to a gift of cash. Senator Aniekan Bassey had also extended similar gestures to his people in the nine LGAs in his district. I have also seen photographs of Mr. Mark Esset, who represents me in the House of Representatives, sharing bags of rice to his people during the Yuletide. Impressed by these stories, I called Senator Sampson yesterday to laud him and his colleagues for their kindness. He however declined to give the costs of the items. ‘’I don’t think it is necessary for me to announce that; it may detract from the spirit of the gesture’’, he said.

Could it be possible that these food items including Christmas rice from President Tinubu were only sent to APC states?

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