The federal govt, APC governor disagree over 20 trucks of rice palliatives

The federal government has rejected a claim by the governor of Gombe State, Inuwa Yahaya, that the state has yet to receive 20 trucks of rice palliatives from it.

Mr Yahaya, on Tuesday in a meeting with civil society organisations, Organised Labour and the Amalgamated Unions of Traders in Gombe, said the state was yet to receive the federal government rice palliative.

The governor, however, commended the federal government for the initiative.

Punch Newspaper reported Mr Yahaya saying that the 20 trucks of rice had not been delivered to his state.

Reacting to the governor’s claim on Saturday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in an interview with BBC Hausa programme, said there is no state where the rice was not delivered.

The minister said it was dispatched for distribution to the masses two weeks ago.

Mr Idris emphasised that every governor received the allocation, contradicting the Gombe governor’s claim.

“The distribution was made public over two weeks ago, and no other governor has disputed the delivery except from Gombe.

“All the governors were given 20 trucks of rice for distribution to people. The claim that it was not given is a new statement I have heard.

“The distribution was made known over two weeks ago and there is no governor that came out to make this claim except that of Gombe, who said his state was yet to receive its share. But in our records, each governor was given 20 trucks of rice,” the minister insisted.