Controversy Trails FG’s Distribution Of Palliative Items Worth N300 Million To Senators, Reps Members

The distribution of palliative items by the federal government, amounting to N200 million for senators and N100 million for members of the House of Representatives, has sparked controversy, The Nation reports.

The Senate debunked claims that each of its members had taken stock of FG’s palliative items for their constituents.

The chairman of the Senate committee on media and public affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, said he has yet to receive any palliative items from the federal government.

The House of Representatives also clarified that members received rice from the federal government as part of a nationwide palliative effort, not N100 million as claimed in a recent viral video.

The chairman of the House committee on media and publicity, Akin Rotimi made the clarification in a statement on Friday, January 5, in Abuja.
The Reps member further said the procurement process is at different stages, depending on the constituency, but to be clear, no legislator has been given any money for palliatives.

However, Olusegun Dada, the special assistant on social media to President Bola Tinubu on his official X handle on Thursday, confirmed the distribution of palliative items worth N200 million to senators and palliative items worth N100 million to House of Representatives members.

Two lawmakers from Edo state, Dennis Idahosa and Dekeri Anamero differed over the supply of truck-loads of Christmas Rice meant as palliatives by the federal government to federal lawmakers for their constituents.

Idahosa had called for a probe over an allegation that four-trailer loads of rice gifted to federal lawmakers had been supplied and shared to their constituents.

Idahosa’s call for a probe came after Anamero, in a viral video on social media, told his supporters to demand, from their representatives and senators, the whereabouts of the bags of rice as approved by President Tinubu for each of the 360 House of Representatives members, and 109 senators.

Idahosa, in a statement he personally signed, described the allegations by his colleague as spurious, misleading and capable of inciting constituents against lawmakers.

In his statement titled “Notice of disclaimer,” Idahosa said no bag of rice has been supplied from the federal government for distributions to the people of his constituency – Ovia Federal Constituency.

He said: “federal government in its wisdom made provisions for a N100 million towards providing palliatives and development, the award letter for this purpose was released on the 15th of December, 2023, with the analysis of N50 million for provision of Rice and the other N50m for solar street lights.

“The procurement process which includes the BOQ to ascertain the number of bags of rice and solar street lights poles has not been issued to the contractor who won the bid for supply to the Federal Constituency, as at today this has not been concluded by the awarding ministry.

“I will also in the spirit of transparency and forthright service, call on the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Civil Society Organizations, Concerned Citizens of Edo and the Inspector General of Police to investigate the purported supplies of 2,400 bags of rice to me for distributions to my constituents.”

In the video Anamero said: “President Bola Tinubu ordered the ministry of Agriculture to allocate N100 million worth of rice and other grains to each of the 360 House of Representatives members to share to their constituents in December. For the 109 senators, the allocation was N200m worth of rice Palliatives to share.

“Please my people, did your honourable members or senators share Tinubu’s rice in your constituency this Christmas? Don’t mind if they branded it with their pictures,” he said.

Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Publicity said the rice distribution was made possible due to the Speaker’s lobbying efforts to secure additional palliatives for constituencies across the country.

He said the process, overseen by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, adhered to established public procurement regulations.

He added that legislators have the right to be present during distribution to take credit for bringing succour to the people.

The Reps Member further said the procurement process is at different stages, depending on the constituency, but to be clear, no legislator has been given any money for palliatives.

Meanwhile, aides to some Reps Members who requested anonymity because they were not permitted to speak on the matter in separate interviews, said their principals were yet to receive any palliative items from the government.

Reacting, the presidential aide, Dada said: “After initial logistics delay, I can now confirm that Senators and members of the House of Representatives have started taking stock of the Federal Government’s palliative items for their constituents as part of efforts to ease life for all Nigerians.

“Each HoR member received items worth N100m while Senatorial constituencies got palliative items worth N200m. ”