I Didn’t Repackage, Rebrand Palliative Rice – Gov Yusuf

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has said his government did not repackage nor rebrand rice palliative from the federal government.

The Chief of Staff to Governor Yusuf, Shehu Wada Sagagi, said the allegation from former governor of the state, Umar Ganduje, was baseless and politically motivated.

Sagagi said the state government has always been transparent in distribution of palliatives in the state.

“Let it be on record that my office has never been involved in palliatives distribution and no one has ever allocated the palliatives to me for onward distribution to state, local governments or ward level.

“The NNPP government has been transparent in its distribution of palliatives to the masses, with clear records of beneficiaries and distribution channels, therefore there is no truth to the APC’s claims of diversion or rebranding.

“The APC’s claims of palliative diversion are also contradictory, as they have previously praised the NNPP government’s efforts in supporting the people of Kano state,” the statement on Wednesday said.

Sagagi added that the government of Yusuf has made tremendous efforts to address hunger issues through different distribution programmes. He stated that the actions of the government are based on accountability.

“The NNPP government has made significant strides in supporting the people of Kano state, from food distribution to infrastructure development, we, therefore, saw recent media onslaught as an orchestrated attempt to undermine these achievements.

“Our actions are guided by the principles of transparency and accountability, and we challenge the APC to provide proof of their allegations or retract their statement.

“The Abbas-led APC’s stock in trade is diversionary, designed to set the people of Kano who are the ultimate beneficiaries of the palliatives against the government with the ultimate target to create unnecessary tension and confusion.

“No doubt, our government remains committed to the welfare of the people of Kano state, and we will not be deterred by the APC’s baseless accusations. They will not succeed. We will continue to work tirelessly to support our citizens.

“Kano state government would not be surprised over the frustration of APC Chairman to resort to blackmailing and attempt to misrepresent facts in other to score cheap publicity.

“We are not unaware that APC is still suffering from the hangover of the 2023 governorship election in Kano where NNPP defeated them woefully. Again, the perpetual loss at the Supreme Court was another nightmare,” Sagagi added.