Palliatives: Group lauds Clement Jimbo

Frankly Isong

A civil society organisation in Nigeria, Center for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN), has hailed the member representing Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on National Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Clement Jimbo, for distributing to his constituents the consignment of rice and other items given to him by President Bola Tinubu for distribution as palliatives to his constituents during the 2023 yuletide.

The commendation was contained in a press release issued by the group and signed by its Director and Secretary, Otuekong Franklyn Isong and Mr Christopher Ekpo, respectively, on Friday, 9 February 2024.

The statement, which was made available to newsmen in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, noted that Clement Jimbo’s gesture to his constituents in Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency came amid refutations on the issue by some of his colleagues of Akwa Ibom extraction in the National Assembly.

The advocacy group is poised to continue to track Presidential Rice even as it monitored the distribution of the palliatives by Mr Jimbo.

The center noted that Jimbo’s distribution exercise, which took place on Thursday, 8th February 2024, at 67 Itu Road, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, was well attended by his constituents and was peaceful and successful.

According to the center, the rice packed in bags was distributed to constituents within the three (3) local government areas making up the federal constituency.

The group noted that apart from the rice palliative, the Federal Lawmaker also empowered four constituents drawn from the three local government areas constituting the federal constituency with one Toyota Camry car each while several sewing machines, hair-drying machines as well as business support grants were also distributed to the constituents.

The CHRAN noted that, so far, Senator Ekong Sampson, representing Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District in the Senate; Rt. Hon. Unyime Idem, representing Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency, and Hon. Clement Jimbo, representing Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency, have distributed the palliatives and given account of the palliatives to their constituents while other National Assembly members from Akwa Ibom State are yet to give account of the President Tinubu palliatives to their constituents in the State.

The CHRAN urged other National Assembly members from the State, who are yet to distribute to their constituents the presidential palliative rice and other items, to borrow a leaf from their colleagues who have done so for the sake of transparency and accountability to their constituents.

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

The CHRAN maintained that it will soon organise a press conference to name and shame the National Assembly members who have not distributed the palliatives to their constituents.

The CHRAN stated that it has reliable information to the effect that 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.