The House of Representatives clarified that the federal government provided rice to be distributed as palliatives to their constituencies, refuting the claim of receiving N100 million, as circulated.
Representative Akin Rotimi, the chairman of the House committee on media and publicity, conveyed this in a statement issued in Abuja recently.
This statement was prompted by a viral video featuring Representative Dekeri Anamero, alleging that President Bola Tinubu supplied each member with two trailers of rice for distribution to their constituents.
Anamero, representing Etsako Federal Constituency, reportedly mentioned in the video that Tinubu provided each member with two trailers of rice to be shared across their respective constituencies.
Rotimi clarified that the House Speaker advocated for additional palliatives for constituents nationwide. He specified that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security managed this initiative, adhering to existing public procurement laws.
Rotimi elaborated that the procurement process varied across constituencies and stressed that legislators had not received any money for palliatives. He acknowledged that, as politicians, members might actively participate in the distribution process and rightfully claim credit for assisting the people.
Highlighting that the procurement and distribution were managed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Rotimi affirmed the commitment of the 10th House of Representatives to engage and earn the trust of Nigerians as their elected representatives.
