On Saturday, the State chapter of the All Progressives Congress and the State government of Osun State exchanged accusations on the distribution of rice bags that were received as a palliative measure to help the state’s inhabitants cope with the removal of fuel subsidies from the federal government.
The state governor, Ademola Adeleke, was challenged by the APC, in a statement released by its chairman, Mr. Tajudeen Lawal, to reveal the location of the 1,250 bags of rice that President Bola Tinubu allegedly sent to the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria for the previous Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.
The party claimed they have knowledge of the theft of 1,250 bags of rice intended for the Osun CAN that were handed to the state administration.
The statement read in part, “We won’t back down as a party until the issue of the stolen rice belonging to the Osun CAN is resolved in favour of the rightful owners as we won’t on the previous 17,000 bags of 50kg rice and 8,000 bags of maize donated to Osun State by the Federal Government but which the same Adeleke diverted to create perception problems for the APC Federal Government.
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“Why is it that it is only in Osun State in the southwest that the CAN was deprived of its rice meant for the festivities?”
But responding in another statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the government dismissed the allegation that the state received bags of rice from the Federal Government for distribution to the state chapter of CAN.
Describing the report as false without any foundation in truth, Alimi said the “Federal Government has not sent any rice palliative to Osun since the batch sent last year which was shared to the public through a committee of public associations and groups.
“The committee that shared the last rice package had the CAN chairman and others as members and there is no way any consignment will reach the state without the committee being informed and engaged in the distribution.”
He therefore challenged APC members who spread the information to substantiate the allegation, cautioning broadcast organisations to desist from providing platforms for those marketing fake news.
He further called on members of the public to ignore the purveyors of untrue information, reiterating the commitment of the current administration to accountability and transparency in state governance.
