Tale of Spoilt Rice Trails House of Representatives Member

If anyone thinks that wonders will ever end, they should visit Nigeria and hang around for a tale from the moonlights of politics. For example, there is the story of how members of a constituency decided to throw the individual representing them at the House of Representatives under a moving train.

Such wondrous stories only come wrapped in swaddling clothes of politics.

In the tale of the House of Representatives member bearing the heat of his constituents’ displeasure, Honourable Prince Jimi Odimayo is the main character. Representing Okitipupa/Irele Federal Constitu ency of Ondo State, Odimayo is currently wearing a helpless expression at the tales being told by his people.

The narrative simply holds that Odimayo distributed spoiled and poisonous bags of rice to his constituents. Following his supposedly reckless action, he is deemed as inconsiderate and insensitive, no more worthy of the governorship mantle he is seeking than the House of Reps position he is currently holding.

No one knows how it all started, except that some individuals claiming to be from his constituency went online to ‘expose’ Odimayo for distributing spoiled rice to them. According to them, Odimayo’s rice, packaged and delivered in bags branded with his smiling face, contained stones, almost unhealthy for consumption.

In his response, Odimayo asked the public to ignore such complaints which he said had political undertone.  He explained that the rice had been vetted before being packaged and distributed to his constituents. But he also expressed his willingness to discuss the matter with stakeholders so as to settle the issue once and for all.

Odimayo’s rice is supposed to be part of the palliative package approved by President Bola Tinubu. It is part of the rumoured N100 million given to House of Representatives members to relieve the economic hardship of their constituents.

If Odimayo’s N100 million was spent on spoiled and stony rice, wouldn’t it hurt his gubernatorial ambition? This is one of the current wonders of Nigeria’s political world, one inspiring public discourse.