Give account of Ondo’s share of FG’s rice, palliatives, Edema tells gov

The Campaign Organisation of Olugbenga Edema, the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the forthcoming off-cycle governorship election in Ondo State, has queried Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa over the distribution of rice and other palliatives given to the state by the Federal Government.

The organisation, which condemned the lack of transparency and accountability in the distribution process, said that members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had been the only ones benefiting from the largesse.

Spokesperson of the campaign organisation, Oluwatosin Ayeni, said that all residents, irrespective of party affiliation, ought to be the priority of the governor, stressing that the measure taken by Aiyedatiwa negated the principles of good governance.

Ayeni said that the recent disclosure by President Bola Tinubu that over N500 billion had been disbursed to states to ameliorate the plight of the citizenry demanded an answer from Aiyedatiwa on the whereabouts of Ondo State’s share.

He said: “With the evidence at our disposal, Governor Aiyedatiwa has allocated the rice and palliatives received from the Federal Government as exclusive benefits for members of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Aiyedatiwa is using them as tools to further his agenda.

“These funds and palliatives belong to the masses and are intended to alleviate the hardship caused by the APC-led administration in the country, and not to serve the interests of a particular political party.”

“One would begin to imagine what happened to the funds released to the state by the Federal Government, particularly when the President in his speech on August 4, 2024 disclosed that his administration had released over N570 billion to the 36 states to expand livelihood support to citizens across the country. So, Aiyedatiwa must tell the people of Ondo State what happened to their share.

“The Olugbenga Edema Campaign Organisation demands that Governor Aiyedatiwa give a full and transparent account of all public funds and palliatives received from the Federal Government.”