Palliative rice: Group lauds Unyime Idem, calls for accountability from other federal legislators

Nkereuwem Effiong

The Center for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN) has commended the member representing Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr Unyime Idem, for being the first in Akwa Ibom State to distribute the rice given by President Bola Tinubu to federal legislators for onward distribution as palliative to constituents during the yuletide.

The commendation was contained in a press release issued by the civil society group and signed by its Director and Secretary, Otuekong Franklyn Isong and Mr Christopher Ekpo, respectively.

The press release, which was made available to newsmen in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Saturday, 20 January 2024, stated that it was salubrious that Idem’s gesture to his constituents in the Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency came amid refutations on the issue by his colleagues of Akwa Ibom extraction in the National Assembly.

The CHRAN vowed to track the Presidential Rice even as it monitored the distribution of the palliative by Hon. Unyime Idem.

The CHRAN noted that the exercise, which took place on Thursday, 18 January 2024 at the Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Empowerment Centre, No. 3 Barracks Road, beside Divisional Police Station, Ukanafun Local Government Area, was peaceful and successful.

The CHRAN stated that the rice, packed in bags, was offloaded from three trailers and distributed to constituents within the 24 INEC-recognised wards across the federal constituency, including traditional rulers, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and other groups in the area.

The CHRAN urged all the National Assembly members from the State to borrow a leaf from Unyime Idem 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 said it will soon name and shame any National Assembly member who has 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 National Assembly members.

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

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.