Like harmattan fire, the news spread across all social media networks within the Edo State media space and beyond that National Assembly Members were given two trailers loads of rice for onward delivery to constituents in different constituencies in Edo state, which was alleged to have been revealed by Etsako Federal constituency representatives Hon Dekeri Anamero.
Truth Live News, in its usual investigative report, assigned one of its correspondents to carry out a thorough investigation into the issue, which was already creating headlines and acrimony among different constituencies in Edo state, with constituents calling out their representatives to give an account of the said rice palliative.
A phone call to the Honourable member representing the good people of Esan Northeast/Esan Southeast constituency, Hon Odianosen Henry Okojie, gave some insight into the whole saga.
According to Hon Okojie, who spoke to us Exclusively on Thursday, there was no palliative from the president this Christmas. Still, people misunderstood Hon Dekeri’s statement and blew it out of proportion.
He said: “The issue of palliative started when the president was about to submit the 2024 budget and National Assembly members were complaining that the presidency’s idea of sending states’ palliative to governors alone was not appropriate, especially when the NASS members also needed to report to their constituents with the palliatives insisting that they were the only ones who could ensure the palliatives get to the poorest of the poor.
“The President graciously approved a N100,000,000 (One hundred million Naira) worth of palliatives for all the members of the National Assembly but ensured that they are not monetised, ensuring that we work with the Ministry of Agriculture and food security for the supply. “On my own, I decided to split mine into two aspects of palliatives the consumables and the sustainable ones. I thought eating rice should not just be enough for my people, but I immediately requested mine to be 50% rice and 50% installations of solar-powered street lights for all the major streets in my constituency.
But funny enough, these items are still in their documentation and processing stages. Nothing has been released even before the Yuletide period and even til now as we speak. Nothing whatsoever.
When asked about the bags of rice he shared during the Christmas and New Year seasons, Hon Odi Okojie explained that those were the bags of rice he regularly shares with his wife, Mercy Okojie, as part of their family charity which they have been giving out to the needy and downtrodden for almost 15 years now and asserted that once the palliatives that the President has approved are out, his constituents would still benefit from them because everything is for them.
In his words: “I have been into charitable giving for over 15 years, and since I married my wife, we have not left out a year without sharing rice, wrappers and other palliatives for the needy in our community, so what we did last December is not new to many of our people, and we will continue to do it because it’s a calling I’ve been into and going into politics is to have a larger platform to reach out to my people.
“As for the palliatives from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the process is still ongoing, and when all is set, I will still bring them to my people who originally owned everything.
“The solar street lights I’ve been installing in some streets in my constituency are still my efforts, and when the ones approved are released, they will only complement my efforts to light up my constituency, which is one of my campaign promises and the reason why they sent me to the National Assembly “, Hon Okojie Opined.