A sense of tension filled the air as individuals residing in Urora, Benin, Edo State, engaged in the act of looting a truck filled with rice that was parked nearby on the first day of a protest against poor governance and hunger that spanned across the nation.
A viral 40-second video captured residents rushing to a specific section of a street in Urora and coming back with small bags of rice.
The individual recording the video could be heard shouting, “This rice is ours, given by the government. This is where they concealed it. We have found it. This is Urora. See rice all around, come and take yours. Look at the rice provided by the Edo State Government, this is where they hid it.”
In another video, a resident mentioned that the truck had been parked behind Bethel Faith Secondary School in Urora, condemning the actions of the Edo State Government as malicious.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress expressed no surprise at this revelation, pointing out that the Godwin Obaseki-led government in the state had managed to transform all resources received from the Federal Government on behalf of the Edo people into contributions supposedly made by his administration.
The state chairman of the APC, Jarrett Tenebe, shared these views in an interview with PUNCH Metro, emphasizing that the Edo State Government displayed a lack of concern for its residents.
He remarked, “Last month, it was confirmed by the Federal Government that all 36 states, including Edo, had received 20 trucks of rice, yet Obaseki hasn’t been able to account for them.
“In his typical deceitful style of governance, Obaseki has converted every receipt from the APC Federal Government on behalf of the Edo people into gifts supposedly made by his government.
“He achieved this by repackaging the rice and other grains into branded mini bags adorned with the Edo State emblem. He also announced that his PDP government allocates N1 billion monthly for rice procurement.
“The video that surfaced on social media, revealing an abandoned truck filled with repackaged Federal Government rice labeled with the Edo State Government logo, discovered by Urora residents, serves as proof to the Edo people of Obaseki’s deliberate scheme to prevent them from benefiting from various relief measures.
On the other hand, Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, denied the existence of a state government warehouse in Urora, stating that relief materials were only distributed through religious bodies.
He explained, “Reports have reached the Edo State Government concerning the looting of rice bags from an unidentified truck and private homes in parts of Benin City in light of the #EndBadGovernance protests.
“The videos circulating are said to originate from the Urora area of Ikpoba Hill, Benin City, where the government does not operate a warehouse.
“Relief materials are provided to the vulnerable through religious organizations like the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, and the Edo State Muslims Pilgrim Welfare Board.
“The state government doesn’t stockpile relief materials but uses these avenues to reach out to the people.
“Attributing this act to the All Progressives Congress, which is disseminating defamatory content for political gain, is not unexpected. This reprehensible conduct aims to incite disorder in the state, a practice that the APC should refrain from.”