Posted by For members of the National Assembly who have been under fire for distributing contentious federal palliatives in their districts, a new opportunity has arisen.
Contractors selected to acquire and distribute the palliatives to federal constituencies will soon receive a bill of quantities from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
According to the bill of quantity that was seen by reporters, the palliative components include “62 bags parboiled long grain rice with a golden standard, enriched with vitamins and minerals, free from fat, stone-free, not contaminated in any way, and packaged in polypropylene laminated bags.”
The uproar began when an Edo State lawmaker, Hon. Dekeri Anamer, called on his constituents to question the location of the certified bags of rice, sparking the dispute.
While parliamentarians waited for the Ministry of Agriculture to complete distribution, rumors and accusations spread due to the procurement process’s delay. Responding to reporters, contractors voiced their hope that the Ministry’s measures will reduce stress, clear up misunderstandings, and resolve the protracted wait for palliatives experienced by numerous districts.
There is confusion and charges leveled against legislators because some federal seats got palliatives once the award letters were published, while most waited for them to be distributed.
Controversy and misunderstanding ensued after the Edo politician revealed palliatives totaling N300 million.
Claims that members of Congress had received and stored the palliative supplies have been denied by both chambers, which have pointed to the Ministry of Agriculture’s bureaucratic delays and continuing procurement procedures as reasons.
Olusegun Dada, special assistant on social media to President Bola Tinubu, verified that senators received N200 million worth of palliative products and members of the House of Representatives received N100 million worth of items. The House has stated once again that President Tinubu’s rice palliative is not missing, but that distribution has been delayed due to bureaucratic obstacles.
House Deputy Spokesperson Philip Agbese provided an update on the situation, noting that some MPs have already got the rice but that others are still waiting for it to be delivered owing to differences in distance and bureaucratic hurdles within the ministry.