The chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Barrister Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, has declared that none of the three senators from Oyo State has received bags of rice from the federal government led by President Bola Tinubu.
The lawmaker made this declaration on Friday.
OsunDailyNG gathered that there are reports that some members of the National Assembly have been given some bags of rice by the federal government.
The rice is to be distributed to the people in their various constituencies.
Alli, who represents Oyo South Senatorial District, has, however, declared that he and the two senators from the state have not received the commodity.
Alli, in a statement issued on Friday and made available to OsunDailyNG through his Special Adviser on Media, Akeem Abas, described as untrue the information that all National Assembly members have collected bags of rice.
He said that it was a statement made by the president in October, but they have not received the rice at the moment.
He said that the 2024 budget would benefit Nigerians.
The lawmaker promised that he and his colleagues would continue to serve the people for the betterment of the country.
Alli said, “I am Nigerian and know things are very hard today. This hardship is temporary and will soon be over. It is just like pouring iodine on sour; at first, it will be painful and later dry off.
“Giving cash is not the best, but a stop-gap. It is better to give it than not do anything at all.
“We have not received any rice from the government. We will continue to serve our people diligently, as promised during the campaign.
“The 2024 budget is different from the 2023 budget. We’ve been running a deficit budget for several years. The reality today is that the percentage of deficits is less than what it used to be.”
