Osun State Government and the State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have engaged in a heated exchange of accusations regarding the distribution of rice received from the Federal Government as a palliative measure to mitigate the effects of fuel subsidy removal on the state’s residents.
The APC, through its chairman Mr. Tajudeen Lawal, has called upon the state governor, Ademola Adeleke, to reveal the whereabouts of 1,250 bags of rice reportedly sent by President Bola Tinubu to the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the previous Christmas and New Year festivities. The party alleged that the rice consignment, intended for Osun CAN, was instead misappropriated by state officials.
In a statement, the APC emphasized their staunch stance on resolving the issue of the allegedly stolen rice meant for Osun CAN, while also referencing a previous incident involving 17,000 bags of 50kg rice and 8,000 bags of maize donated to the state by the Federal Government, which they claimed was diverted by Governor Adeleke to create problems for the APC Federal Government.
The government swiftly refuted these claims through the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi. He dismissed the allegation, stating that no rice palliative had been received from the Federal Government for distribution to the state chapter of CAN. Alimi emphasized that the last rice package was shared through a committee of public associations and groups, which included the CAN chairman, and asserted that it would be impossible for any consignment to reach the state without the involvement of the distribution committee.
Furthermore, Alimi challenged APC members to substantiate their claims and cautioned against spreading fake news. He urged the public to disregard false information and reaffirmed the current administration’s commitment to accountability and transparency in state governance.
