Abia: We’re yet to receive FG’s rice palliative

The Abia state government says it has not received the 20 trucks of rice promised by the federal government as palliative to cushion economic hardship.

In May, the federal government announced the distribution of 740 trucks of rice to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, disclosed after a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting that each state would receive 20 trucks of rice.

However, in a telephone interview with TheCable on Saturday, Ukoha Ukoha, Abia state chief press secretary, said the state has not received “anything” from the federal government.

“At a media chat yesterday, the governor only admitted to receiving bags of rice from the federal government last year,” Ukoha said.

“I remember because I was involved in distributing the rice to every ward in the state, about 145 bags each.

“On the latest palliative announcement by the federal government in the wave of the #EndBadGovernance protest, we haven’t heard anything yet.

“There is a difference between ‘Federal Government will share’ and ‘Federal Government has shared’.

“Twenty trucks of rice is a lot. Maybe the federal government is planning for it already, but we haven’t received anything yet.”