Osun APC to Adeleke: Stop hoarding FG rice palliatives for citizenry

…our government will not withhold what belongs to its people

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Osun State has accused the Governor Ademola Adeleke led Government of hoarding the rice palliatives sent to the state by the Federal Government.

But the Government in a swift reaction said it will not deny its citizens whatever belongs to them including the palliatives from the Federal Government.

The APC, on Thursday, accused the State Government of playing a dangerous game with the palliatives for not announcing the delivery or distribute the palliatives for the people of the state after twelve days of its arrival to the state.

According to the State Chairman of the party, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo,” It was authoritatively learnt that five trader-loads of rice with other items donated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration were sent to the Osun State Government as the state shares of the people’s palliatives to cushion the effect of the biting effect of the subsidy removal on fuel.

“Up till today, the state government has not deemed it fit to announce the federal government gifts as palliatives for the people of the state.”

Lawal stated that there was no justifiable reason for the Governor to maintain a stone silence on the palliatives from the Federal Government for twelve days.

The APC chairman wondered what has been delaying the distribution of the rice palliatives from the Federal Government to Osun people when other neighbouring states have completed the process and are waiting for other tranches of the palliatives.

He also wondered whether the state government is expecting the federal government that made the rice palliatives available to also be the one to effect the sharing of same.

His words: “I can’t fathom the reason why Governor Adeleke is finding it difficult to announce the arrival of the federal government palliatives to the state and also why it has been pretty difficult to distribute same.

“Is Governor Adeleke waiting for the people of the state to die of hunger before he deems it fit to make the palliatives available to serve its purpose at the right time?

“All genuine stakeholders in the Osun State project should plead with Adeleke to release the rice palliatives sent to the state by the Federal Government to get to the needy on time as the purpose for sending it down is not to be locked up in a hidden warehouse in the state.

“The diversion of the rice palliatives by the state government as it is being touted by some concerned discerning minds in the state would have a debilitating effect on the image of the reigning state government.

“Again, if the news spreading like a wild fire across the state that Adeleke is trying to play a fast one on the palliatives from Abuja by inscribing ‘Imole De Rice’ on it is anything to go by, it shall be resisted by all legal means.

“I wonder if Governor Adeleke and his co-travellers are not ashamed that his government is nauseatingly too slow on the handling of the palliatives for the people of the state when other states have since finished distribution and even started the second batch of cash transfer of =N=10,000 to citizens and civil servants.

“Adeleke must bring out the palliative rice from Abuja that he has been hoarding if his government is finding it difficult to provide its own palliatives for the people of the state”, the state APC chairman asserted.

Meanwhile, the State Government in a release by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, said APC is playing propaganda with Osun people.

Alimi said that the state government informed members of the public that the Federal government approved a total of three thousand bags of rice palliatives to the state.

He said the Federal Government is yet to complete the 3000 bags earmarked for the state.

He said, “Six hundred bags were loaded per each truck and disbursed through four trailers: making two thousand and four hundred received so far. Out of the five trailers of bags of rice palliative to the state, we are waiting for the completion of the palliative supply before the announcement and distribution.

“We received four out of the five trailers and the state is awaiting the last batch of six hundred bags of rice palliatives, to complete the three thousand bags earmarked for the state.”

The release added that, since receiving the initial bags of rice palliatives, the government through special duties has fashioned out modalities and templates on the distribution of the palliatives.

According to him, “Governor Ademola Adeleke is a passionate and accountable governor who will never hurt or deprive the citizenry of its palliative. The governor is concerned about the welfare of the populace, and will not fail in its delivery.”

“Cushioning the effect of the subsidy is a necessity, our government will not withhold what belongs to the citizenry from them.

“The rice palliatives will be distributed as soon as the last tranche comes into the state by today or tomorrow.

“We assure the good people of Osun that the government of Ademola Adeleke will not deny them of the rice palliatives, and we urge all to disregard the propaganda of the APC.

“This government is a responsible one, we are not hoarding the rice palliatives but waiting for the supply to be completed by the agency of the federal government before we commence distribution.

“Osun people know that the Adeleke family even before being elected into office has always shared thousands of bags of rice to the populace during an emergency. Now in Government, this administration can never and will never divert what belongs to the people”, Alimi stated.