By Rose Oranye
The Special Adviser to Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo on Political Matters, Dr. Alex Obiogbolu, has dismissed as nonsensical the reports in some unscrupulous online outlets that the bags of rice sent to Anambra State as palliatives by the Federal Government are being re-bagged.
He pointedly stresses that the Federal Government sent N2 billion for the procurement of palliatives, which, of course, raises the question: How can the state government re-bag rice that was not sent in the first instance in bags?
According to Dr. Obiogbolu,
"when people throw tantrums at you, it's not every tantrum that you
respond to.” The Special Adviser further states: “If we start answering that it
was not re-bagged, who will believe you when there's already a picture of the governor
on the bag of rice? There's a way to answer a stupid man's question.”
He continues thusly: "We
said that N2 billion was provided for the procurement of rice, and they used
the opportunity to talk about what the Governor is doing and how he's doing it.
There was no bag of rice brought. What they brought was N2 billion for you to
procure rice. The opposition is just playing to the gallery by talking that there
is re-bagging of the rice.”
Dr. Obiogbolu explained that
the Anambra State Government got N2 billion from the Federal Government, of
which 48 percent is a loan. In the words of Dr. Obiogbolu, "Governor
Soludo has insisted that the rice must go to the vulnerable, that it is not
meant for political parties. Every state government was asked to procure rice
at the tune of N2 billion. In that N2 billion, 48 percent should be repaid by
the state. So, it's a loan which the Federal Government brought 52 percent as
their own portion. So if they brought 52 percent and Anambra brought 48
percent, will the author say it's Federal Government Palliative?”
Dr. Obiogbolu insisted that all
sections of society are being carried along in the ongoing distribution of the
petroleum subsidy removal palliatives. Dr. Obiogbolu, reacting to a statement
by the vice chairman, Anambra South Senatorial District of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), said that it was the first time in the history of the state
that the welfare of vulnerable persons is being vigorously pursued.
The Special Adviser stated:
"I wish to remind the APC Anambra State that these bags of rice are not
intended to be shared along political lines but rather to alleviate the
suffering in our society by targeting the most vulnerable."
Dr. Obiogbolu stated that all
the Chairmen of the Local Government Chapters of the 18 political parties are
members of the Local Government Supervisory Committees, which include
representatives of President-Generals of Communities and Traditional Rulers at
the Local Government. Their functions are to supervise and ensure that they get
to the vulnerable.
"At the wards, only
village chairpersons and the Clergy constitute the ward Distribution Committees
with the Ward Councilor as Team Lead," Obiogbolu said, adding: "It is
interesting that the vice chairman of APC in Anambra South Senatorial District
wants to be involved in the distribution of the palliatives in his local
government area.
“Governor Soludo has
continuously insisted on the palliatives getting to vulnerable persons in
society irrespective of political party affiliations. He once again
demonstrated his love for neglected persons when he recently visited Olumbanasa
community in Anambra West LGA, a feat never achieved by any of his
predecessors.”
Dr. Obiogbolu made this final
revelatory submission: "Despite the N2 billion provided by the Federal
government for the procurement of rice, of which 48 percent is a loan to every
state, Governor Soludo has provided additional palliatives that are in excess
of N5 billion.
“These include the payment of
12,000 naira for four months to all state government workers and pensioners,
the provision of total free education for primary and junior secondary schools
in the state, support grant to mission schools in the state, and the provision
of free antenatal services and free delivery of babies."
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