Abia State Government Denies Receiving 20 Trucks of Rice from Federal Government.
The Abia State government has firmly denied claims that it received 20 trucks of rice as palliatives from the Nigerian government under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
In a statement released by Prince Okey Kanu, the State Commissioner for Information, it was clarified that no palliatives have arrived in Abia State, nor has there been any communication from the Federal Government regarding such assistance. Prince Kanu dismissed reports suggesting that the Nigerian government distributed 50kg bags of rice to states for sale at ₦40,000 as “fake news.”
“We didn’t see any truck of rice from the Federal Government. And the issue of selling a 50kg bag of rice for ₦40,000 is fake news,” Kanu stated. He emphasized that the state government does not engage in rumors and speculations, adding, “There is a protocol for communication from the federal government when it comes to palliatives, and no such message has been received.”
When questioned about the potential need to establish communication with the federal government to verify the claims, the commissioner responded that it was unnecessary. “If the news was authentic, we would have received official communication from the federal government. No such thing has happened,” he added.
Recently, the Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government announced the distribution of 20 trucks of rice to each state to cushion the effects of food inflation and rising general inflation. However, this claim has been met with skepticism, with states like Edo and Adamawa also denying receipt of the rice.
Rev. Olu Martins, Deputy Director of Media for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign in the upcoming Edo State governorship election, echoed similar sentiments. He stated,
“The Edo State government did not receive any rice from the Federal Government or the Aliko Dangote Foundation. If the rice had been sent, which ministry or agency in Edo received it?”
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In response to these denials, the Niger Delta Minister criticized state governors, accusing them of being unfair to President Tinubu. He specifically mentioned the Edo State Governor, claiming that the governor had, in fact, received the rice but failed to acknowledge it publicly.
The controversy surrounding the rice distribution continues to stir debates across the country, with more states possibly coming forward to clarify their stance on the matter.
