The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on Governor Ademola Adeleke to provide a transparent account of the Federal Government’s palliative rice distribution.
The APC alleges that the state government has repurposed the rice, intended for the poorest residents, for political gain by distributing it exclusively to members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Eid-el-Kabir gifts.
The Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, sent numerous trailer-loads of rice and grains to Osun State to alleviate the economic impact of the fuel subsidy removal. However, the APC claims that Governor Adeleke’s administration has rebranded the rice to appear as if it was provided by the state government and has not distributed it equitably.
Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, the Osun State APC chairman, expressed his concerns in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi.
Lawal criticized Governor Adeleke for failing to address the distribution issue transparently and accused him of neglecting the interests of the broader state population.
Lawal emphasized the importance of fairness, accountability, and transparency in the distribution of the palliative rice. He questioned why the rice was not made available to all residents regardless of their political or religious affiliations and demanded details on the quantity of rice distributed and the beneficiaries. He also queried whether the state government had purchased additional rice to supplement the federal aid and at what cost.
Lawal asserted that the APC would continue to press Governor Adeleke for a full account of the palliative rice distribution, insisting that the people of Osun State deserve to know how their resources are being allocated. He stressed that the APC will not allow the governor to evade accountability on this matter.
In Lawal’s words: “What we are talking about is about the common patrimony of the state which the people of the state are entitled to know the formula for its appropriation in the interest of fairness, accountability and probity in the public office.
“It will not be out of tune for the people of the state to know how many bags of rice were distributed and who were the beneficiaries?
“It will also interest the people to know if the government of Adeleke had truly bought additional bags of rice to supplement the Federal Government own and at what cost.
“It is only when these questions are answered diligently that the governed would be convinced that there has not been sharp practices by the government on the recurring issue of the Federal Government palliative rice.
“Will it be fair to distribute the Federal Government palliative rice to only the members of the PDP when it wasn’t the only the party members who voted in the governor as the state Chief executive?
“Why is it that Governor Adeleke and his cohorts detest accountability portion of governance and brand those craving for same as enemies of his administration?
“We, as a party, won’t allow Governor Adeleke to rest until he gives proper account of the Federal Government palliative rice. We won’t allow him to shortchange the people of the state. “, the Osun State APC chairman stated.
