Group lauds Ekong Sampson for distributing palliative rice

Frankly Ekong, Uyo

A pro-democracy group in Nigeria, Center for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN), has lauded the senator representing Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, Senator Ekong Sampson, for distributing to his constituents the consignment of rice given to him by President Bola Tinubu for distribution as palliative to his constituents during the yuletide.

The commendation was contained in a statement issued by the civil society group and signed by its Director and Secretary, Otuekong Franklyn Isong and Mr Christopher Ekpo, respectively, on Monday, 29th January 2024.

The statement, which was made available to newsmen in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, stated that Ekong Sampson’s gesture to his constituents in Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District came amid refutations on the issue by some of his colleagues of Akwa Ibom State extraction in the National Assembly.

The advocacy group vowed to track the Presidential Rice even as it monitored the distribution of the palliative by Senator Sampson.

The Center noted that the Ekong Sampson distribution exercise, which took place on Wednesday, 24th January 2024, at the Senator Ekong Sampson Constituency Office, 105 Atabong Road, Eket, Akwa Ibom State, was peaceful and successful.

The Center stated that the rice, packed in bags, was distributed to constituents within the 12 local government areas that made up the Eket senatorial district.

The group noted that apart from the palliative rice, the Senator also empowered 700 indigenes of the district with education and business support grants.

The CHRAN urged other National Assembly members from the State who are yet to distribute the palliative rice of President Tinubu to borrow a leaf from Ekong Sampson by being transparent and accountable to their constituents.

The CHRAN further stated that it was sanguine that President Tinubu Palliative Rice had been received by all the National Assembly members on behalf of their constituents, and so urged them to distribute same to their constituents without further delay.

The CHRAN maintained that it will soon name and shame the National Assembly members who have not distributed the palliative rice to their constituents.

The CHRAN stated that it has reliable information to the effect that food palliatives worth N57.8 billion had been approved for members of the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for onward distribution to their constituents and that same had been released and shared to all members of the National Assembly.

The CHRAN also stated that it has been reliably informed that N200 million worth of rice was given to Senators as palliatives for their constituents while N100 million worth of rice was given to members of the House of Representatives as palliatives for constituents.

It would be recalled that the Presidency while showcasing Tinubu’s scorecard in palliatives disbursement to Nigerians, had revealed that each Senator got N200 million worth of palliatives for their constituents while each member of the House of Representatives received N100 million worth of palliatives for their constituents.