Ogun Accuses Opposition of Blackmail over Palliatives Distribution

James Sowole  in Abeokuta

The Ogun State Government has raised the alarm over the ongoing attempt by opposition politicians to rubbish efforts by the state and the federal governments to provide relief to the vulnerable people to cushion the effects of the recent subsidy removal.

The state government warned Nigerians to be wary of the antics of such politicians, who have been going about to rubbish the palliative programmes put on place meant to cater for the poorest of the poor.

Reacting to some recent online videos, the government in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Lekan Adeniran, said some agents of the opposition have resorted to media blackmail to discredit the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Describing the perpetrators of the media blackmail as fifth columnists, the statement noted that the federal government was unambiguous in saying the palliative was not meant for everybody but for the most vulnerable people in the society.

The statement noted that it smacked of bad blood and evil intentions for some fifth columnists to be spreading falsehoods targeted at discrediting the ongoing well-coordinated distribution across the state.

According to the statement, the government of Abiodun has been severally lauded at home and abroad for the efficient and prudent manner the sharing of the palliatives has been handled.

“Let it be recalled that Governor Abiodun made it clear to everybody involved in sharing the palliatives that it must get to the intended beneficiaries.
“But in spite of the painstaking effort of the government in to ensure that the palliatives get to the right beneficiaries promptly, some people are unrelenting in their bids to tar the administration with negative brushes for reasons not beyond politics.

“This explains the case of the man in a recent video who claims to be a Community Development Association chairman somewhere in the state. Taking to social media and throwing cautions to the wind, he betrayed the posture of a man out to do mischief so as to score cheap political gains.

“This man is aware that the bag of rice is meant for ONE vulnerable family in the community, and not for all the residents. It was sent to him as the chairman for onward transfer to a vulnerable widow in his community.

“But, instead of ensuring that it gets to the intended beneficiary, he chose to play politics with the palliative, exposing himself as the destructive opposition agent that he actually is.

“This man’s expression of disappointment is against the federal government’s clear instructions on the palliatives. He clearly got it wrong thinking that government was ready to provide enough bags of rice that would go round every family in his community. It is also obvious that he was out on a hatchet job,” the statement stated.