The Deputy Director Media, Asue Ighodalo Governorship Campaign Committee, Rev Olu Martins on Monday faulted the allegation from the Senator representing Edo North, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, that the Edo State Government collected 20 trucks of rice from the federal government and 30,000 bags from Aliko Dangote Foundation.
Martins said, the feeding program running in Edo State now was initiated by the Edo State Government and is being implemented through the Christian Association of Nigeria,(CAN)Edo State chapter and other religious bodies.
He said Comrade Adams Oshiomhole having been a governor and now a senator should have known how government is run, and not to speculate.
Speaking at a press conference at the PDP Campaign Council, Benin City, Edo State Martin said, that if Tinubu had shared 20 trucks of rice with states, he would have mentioned it in his speech on Sunday.
“Mind you that Mr President did not mention in his speech of rice going to any of the states, or maybe that could still be in the offing, because if he sent 20 trucks of rice to Edo State, which ministry did it go to? It could have gone through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and because it is the Government, there will be a process, somebody should deliver it to somebody in Edo State and somebody should sign.
“There should be an acknowledgement letter signed by those who received it. You can’t just go and deliver to the Edo State Government. There is a Commissioner for Agriculture and the Commissioner has said that he is yet to see a pickup of rice not to talk of 20 trucks.
“The former governor made an allusion to Dangote, that is an annoying thing. Maybe, because the APC has been consistently bashed especially at the federal level, not forgetting that the protest is against bad governance.
“Because of the constant bashing, the Comrade Senator is crying wolf, trying to instigate people to loot where people kept private rice.”
Continuing, he said, “We saw during the EndSARS, where people broke warehouse that never belonged to the government He mentioned that Edo State received 30,000 bags of rice from the Aliko Dangote Foundation, and it was heartbreaking.
“Today, I watched the Aliko Dangote Foundation distributing rice to poor people, using religious bodies, which is the same template by the Edo State Government. The Dangote Foundation does not distribute rice through the state government.
“Edo people will not be hoodwinked into accepting lies, nor will Edo people be hoodwinked to fight a legitimate government, as Obaseki’s name will not be on the ballot, Oshiomhole name is not going to be on the ballot too, but if they are determined to bring Obaseki to the picture, we will not waste time to bring Oshiomhole to the picture.”
He challenged the APC candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo to tell Edo people his vision, or manifesto adding,’ that the man (Asue Ighodalo) who has a vision for Edo people has been going round to sell his vision and manifesto to Edo people.
Also speaking, Christopher Ojeikere, one of the spokespersons Asue Ighodalo, Campaign Committee, said the facts were very clear, which is that the Edo State Government has a feeding program sponsored by the Edo State Government
“The fact is that the Edo State Government has a feeding program being implemented by CAN and other religious bodies. The fact is that that body was set up three months ago.
“The first 1 billion naira released for the program ran very successfully before the last trench of 1 billion released now. Every other story about rice coming from anywhere is pure speculation.”
