Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State yesterday said there is no political motive behind the food palliatives being distributed periodically to vulnerable people in the state, contrary to insinuations in some quarters.
He called on the federal government to emulate his model which according to him is like a drop in the ocean compared to what the federal government is spending on food palliatives as that of the state gets to the real people that need it.
He spoke during the flag-off of the second phase of distribution of the palliatives for the vulnerable through the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Muslims groups and other associations in the state.
“Thank God the people here are not politicians and I don’t have any politician here with me and I am not contesting an election. From what you have seen today the way the groups organised themselves, you could see the transparency with which they have run this programme compared to what the federal government claims they are spending on palliatives, this is chicken change, this is a drop in the ocean but if we do things properly in this country, we know there are challenges, things will go well but with the current leadership, we are not helping ourselves, we are not helping Nigerians and look at how we have run this programme, I hope the federal government will come and learn from here because this is what I have always argued people know what they want.
“We made the resources available, got them to organise themselves and you see the way they have handled it, they even procured from the local market thereby boosting the local economy. From the little we have given them see how many families have benefited so it is about transparency, honesty and our willingness to serve the public good,” the governor said.
The chairman of CAN in the state, Apostle Irekpono Omoike, said 60,000 bags of 10kg of rice were distributed in the first phase and 56,250 bags would be distributed, meaning 116,250 families would benefit at the end of the second phase and appealed to Governor Obaseki to provide security for the people so that they can return to their farms instead of waiting to be given palliatives which is not sustainable.
Obaseki said there is no political undertone but a genuine interest for the poor.
