By Freshgist
A civil society organisation in Nigeria under the aegis of Center for Human Rights and Accountability Network (CHRAN), has applauded the member representing Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on National Planning & 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.
In a press release signed by the group Director and Secretary, Otuekong Franklyn Isong and Barr. Christopher Ekpo, respectively over the weekend in Uyo and made available to our reporter stated that Clement Jimbo's gesture to his constituents in Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency came in the midst of refutations on the issue by some of his colleagues of Akwa Ibom extraction in the National Assembly.
The advocacy group vowed to continue to track the Presidential Rice even as it monitored the distribution of the palliatives by Hon. Jimbo.
The Center noted that the Hon. 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.
The Center stated that the rice, packed in bags, were 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 group hereby called on other members of the National Assembly 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 same to their constituents without further delay, maintaining 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 group holds 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, knowing 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.
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