BENIN CITY: The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has said that hoodlums looted bags of rice meant for the Seventh Days Aventist, Latter-Day Saints Church, vulnerable children, orphanage, widows in Edo state.
The Chairman of CAN, Edo State Chapter, Apst. Gen. Dr. Irekpono Omoike revealed this during a press conference at the Chancellery of the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin, in Benin City.
Our reporter described Apostle Omoike revelation as setting the record straight.
He said according to the clergy, the vandalized residence where bags of rice looted by hoodlums in Urora, in Ikoba-Okha LGA belongs to the vendor contracted by the Edo State CAN Implementation Committee for the Christian Feeding Programme.
“The Christian Feeding Programme funded by the Edo State Government with N2 billion, is in its second phase of distributing relief materials to vulnerable Christian Group.” Omoike said.
“There is a very important issue to correct a wrong notion that is circulating, that the rice being distributed by the State Government is supplied by the Federal Government and re-bagged.” He stated.
He described the notion as misinformation and very wrong that needs to be corrected.
Apostle Omoike explained how Governor Godwin Obaseki had a meeting with CAN and expressed concern over the hardship of the economic downturn in the country.
In the meeting, Obaseki said the hardship has a direct bearing on the vulnerable persons and the poor in Nigeria.
As a result, “we designed a programme on how to reach out to the poor with food palliatives, after setting up an implementation committee for the Christian Feeding Programme,” the clergy explained.
As the first batch of the funding for the programme, “the governor released N1 billion for rice purchase,” he added.
And in May 2024, “we flagged off the distribution of the first batch of the rice at the Baptist Convention Ground in Benin City.”
He highlighted how they distributed the First batch of the rice to beneficiaries saying that they shared 60,000 of 10kg bags of rice.
Out of which, the Edo chapter of CAN said it distributed 27,000 bags through LGAs to the churches in Edo South, and also distributed 18,000 bags of rice to Edo North.
According to him, the chapter further distributed 50,000 bags to Edo Central.
For the second phase, Omoike said the governor went further to release another N1 billion to continue the exercise.
“From the second batch, 56,250 people benefited through the structure of CAN,” stated the Clergy.
Again, “this process is ongoing since the month of July,” he added.
Meanwhile, all the churches that did not receive the 1st batch across the 18 LGAs., CAN said it has successfully distributed the second batch of rice to them.
Rev’d Osagie Ehrunmwunse, Secretary of the CAN Implementation Committee for the Christian Feeding Programme, also said “the truck in the viral video from which hoodlums looted bags of rice belonged to a logistic company distributing the rice.
He explained that “the truck supplying down from Ekpoma had a breakdown and the bags of rice meant for the Seventh Days Aventis, Latter Day Saints, vulnerable children, orphanage, widow among others were looted.”
“In an attempt for us to take that rice for safe keeping, that was when the products were looted by hoodlums.
He maintained that the incident happened on Thursday morning and that it was in the house belonging to one of the suppliers of the rice for distribution.
“We are happy that nobody died in the process, or got injured,”
But like Mr. Chairman was responding, “it’s disheartening to know that people have to twist the information by saying it’s federal government rice.” Ehrunmwunse concluded.