- ’Govt: allegation false
Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State has accused Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of making moves to repackage and rebrand palliatives sent to the state by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It said the governor delayed distribution of the palliatives because of plans to repackage and rebrand them for distribution to members and supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Director of Media and Publicity of Ondo PDP, Leye Igbabo, in a statement in Akure, said Governor Aiyedatiwa planned to use Federal Government’s palliatives to promote his governorship ambition.
“This we consider duplicitous and an insincere approach to service and governance, a consistent disposition of the Ayedatiwa administration since he accidentally became governor, otherwise the delay in the distribution of an interventionist action as this will not ordinarily have arisen.
“Our party views this posture of Mr Governor as not only insensitive, but also wicked, inhuman and unbecoming of a governor, who should, as matter of fact, exhibit empathy, love and compassion for the people that are already challenged, hopeless, devastated and ravaged by hunger, anger and disease.
“We had thought the resolve of Ondo State people not to join the national hunger protest would have spurred the governor to, more than ever before, consider the awkward predicament of the people and go to any length in alleviating the avoidable hardship.
“We even consider the desire to politicise palliative distribution at the expense of the general populace as not only distasteful and reprehensible, but equally absurd and brutal.”
Spokesman for Ondo APC, Alex Kalejaiye, lambasted PDP for ‘’resorting to lies with awful recklessness.’’
He said Aiyedatiwa had handled the issue of palliatives with transparency, sincerity and the fear of God.
Kalejaiye said the items received from the Federal Government had been distributed to the 203 wards in the state, through closely-monitored local government representatives.
He said: “Governor Aiyedatiwa, out of concern for the people, has directed the state Food Security Agency to work out measures to cushion the effects of the current harsh economy that is a global phenomenon.
“Aiyedatiwa’s package that will soon be unveiled at six major centres, at the first instance, will witness reduction of 25 per cent reduction in the core food items.
“Food security is one of the core targets of the current government, for which adequate deal, commitment and seriousness are being deployed by its agents to actualise this lofty plan.”
[TheNation]