…looted bags of rice funded by State Govt with N2bn, not FG
By Kingsley Ohens
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Edo State Chapter, Apst. Gen. Dr. Irekpono Omoike, clarified that the vandalised residence in Urora, Ikoba-Okha Local Government Area, where bags of rice were looted, belongs to a vendor contracted by the Edo State CAN Implementation Committee for the Christian Feeding Programme.
This clarification came during a press conference at the Chancellery of the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin, in Benin City.
Truth Live News gathered that Omoike emphasised that the Christian Feeding Programme, currently in its second phase, is funded by the Edo State Government with 2 billion naira, not by the Federal Government.
He stated, “There is a very important issue to correct a wrong notion that is circulating that the rice being distributed by the State Government is rice supplied by the Federal Government and re-bagged. This is misinformation. It is a very wrong notion that needs to be corrected.”
He elaborated that earlier this year, the Edo State Chapter of CAN met with Governor Godwin Obaseki to address how to assist vulnerable persons and the poor during the economic downturn.
Following the meeting, an implementation committee for the Christian Feeding Programme was established, and the governor released the first batch of funding, amounting to 1 billion naira, for purchasing rice.
The distribution of the first phase, which included 60,000 bags of 10kg rice, began in May 2024 at the Baptist Convention Ground in Benin City.
“In Edo South, 27,000 bags were distributed to the LGAs through the churches in Edo South, while in Edo North, we had 18,000 bags distributed. In Edo Central, we had 50,000 bags.
The total that was distributed in that first batch was 60,000 bags of 10kg rice,” Omoike noted.
For the second phase, another batch of 1 billion naira was released by the governor to replicate the exercise.
“This process is ongoing since July. In the last few days, we have successfully distributed to all the churches that did not receive the first batch across the 18 LGAs,” Omoike added.
The Secretary of the CAN Implementation Committee for the Christian Feeding Programme, Rev’d Osagie Ehrunmwunse, clarified that the truck in the viral video where bags of rice were looted belonged to a logistic company distributing the rice.
“The truck supplying down from Ekpoma had a breakdown the previous night.
The rice was meant for the Seventh Day Adventists, Latter Day Saints, vulnerable children, orphanages, widows, among others,” he explained.
“In an attempt for us to take that rice for safekeeping, the products were looted by hoodlums.
“So that was exactly what happened on Thursday morning. The incident did not occur at a government warehouse but at the house of one of the suppliers of the rice for distribution,” Ehrunmwunse added.
“We are happy that nobody died or got injured in the process. But it is disheartening to know that people twist the information by saying it’s federal government rice.
“We strongly refute any misdeed attributed to the Edo governor in this matter,” Omoike concluded.
This puts to rest any narrative of the governor hoarding rice sent to the state which has been circulated by misinformed people and mischief makers.
