Chinedum Orji Dares Aguocha, Accuses Him of Selling Constituency’s Rice Palliatives

• By Tony Icheku

Former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly and APC candidate for Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, has accused House of Representatives member Obi Aguocha of allegedly selling two truckloads of Federal Government rice palliatives meant for constituents rather than distributing them to beneficiaries.

Orji made the allegation in a statement issued on Wednesday, escalating the controversy over the distribution of food items approved by President Bola Tinubu to cushion the economic hardship that followed the removal of the petrol subsidy.

He challenged Aguocha to publish records showing how the rice was distributed across the constituency, including the number of bags allocated to each ward, the names of village heads who received supplies, distribution dates and photographs of the exercise.

According to Orji, there was no publicly available distribution list or breakdown showing how the palliatives reached residents of Ikwuano, Umuahia North and Umuahia South.

He specifically questioned whether vulnerable residents in communities across Ariam-Usaka, Oboro, Oloko, Ibeku, Ohuhu, Ubakala and Olokoro had received any of the supplies.

Orji alleged that the rice was sold to businessmen from Anambra State. However, the statement did not provide documentary evidence to substantiate the allegation.

The former Speaker’s comments followed a statement by Aguocha in which the lawmaker reportedly complained of cyberbullying and threatened legal action against Chief Charles Ogbonna, popularly known as Evuleogu Ibeku, over allegations concerning the rice.

Orji rejected Aguocha’s complaint, accusing the lawmaker and his associates of previously making what he described as false claims about him and his father, former Abia State Governor and Senator Theodore Orji.

He also referred to a criminal case involving himself and his father at the Abia State High Court in Umuahia, insisting that they had pleaded not guilty and had not been convicted.

Orji challenged Aguocha to include him in any legal action over the rice allegations, saying he was prepared to defend his position in court.

He maintained that Aguocha should provide evidence of the distribution rather than respond to criticism with allegations of cyberbullying.

The dispute has renewed questions about the handling of the Federal Government’s food palliative programme and whether the intended beneficiaries in the constituency received the relief materials.

Background to the Rice Palliatives Programme

President Tinubu approved the distribution of food items, including rice, to members of the National Assembly for onward distribution to their constituents following the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023.

The programme was intended to help Nigerians cope with rising living costs and was administered through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

Public explanations of the initiative indicated that lawmakers were allocated palliatives for distribution within their respective constituencies, with the supplies forming part of the government’s broader relief measures.

The controversy in Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South centres on whether the constituency’s allocation was distributed to intended beneficiaries.

As of the time of this report, the allegations made by Orji had not been independently verified, and Aguocha’s response to the latest claims was not included in the statement reviewed for this report.