The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Edo State government on Thursday traded words over the ownership of the truck of rice looted at a warehouse in Benin by #EndBadGovernance protesters.....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
Some residents of the state were sighted in a viral video looting the rice at a warehouse in Urora, Uhunmwonde local government area of the state during the protest.
In the video, the looters were heard saying the warehouse belonged to the state government.
Most of the residents were seen carrying more than a 10kg bag of rice.
At a news conference on Thursday, the Acting APC Chairman in the state, Jarret Tenebe, said the video had allegedly exposed Governor Godwin Obaseki’s deliberate plan to deprive Edo people of the Federal Government’s palliative.
Tenebe alleged that a substantial part of the rice was being sold in markets by a prominent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) market woman leader.
He said: “If Edo people were in doubt, the video that emerged on social media today, showing an abandoned trailer load of repackaged Federal Government rice with Edo State Government inscription has exposed the state government.
“The rice was discovered by Urora residents and it has exposed Obaseki’s deliberate plan to deprive the Edo people of accessing the different palliative measures of the Federal Government.
“We have intelligence reports on several warehouses in the state, hoarding rice and other grains met for Edo people.
“There are reports also that a substantial part of the rice was being sold in markets by a prominent PDP market woman leader.”
The APC leader described the scenario as economic sabotage, which the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) must investigate.
However, the state government had denied ownership of the warehouse.
The State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, said in a statement the government did not keep relief materials in its warehouses
He said the government’s feeding programme for vulnerable persons in the state was being implemented through religious bodies.
Nehikhare alleged that APC was behind the video.
He said: “The Edo State government has received information about the looting of bags of rice from an unidentified truck and private residences in parts of Benin City in the wake of the #EndBadGovernance protests.
“The videos making the rounds are said to have emanated from the Urora axis of Ikpoba Hill, Benin City, and the government does not have a warehouse in that location.
“The video is the handiwork of APC in a desperate attempt to score cheap political points.
“The government supports the vulnerable with relief materials through religious organisations particularly the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, and the Muslim leaders in the State.
“The state government does not keep any relief material by itself but reaches out to the people through these channels.
“We will not put this tactic past the APC, which is spreading malicious content to score cheap political points.
“This condemnable action is intended to cause chaos in the state.”
