January 07, (THEWILL) – The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on members of the National Assembly (NASS) to ensure proper distribution of the thousands of bags of rice and other foodstuff recently given to them for sharing by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
MURIC made the call Friday in Abuja in a statement by its executive director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola.
The statement read, “Each of Nigeria’s 109 senators allegedly received N200 million worth of foodstuff while their 360 counterparts in the House of Representatives were given N100 million worth each.
“Although an honourable member of the House from Edo state was seen in a video gone viral displaying a warehouse filled with thousands of bags of rice, some senators and Reps are still denying that they collected palliatives from the president.
“We see this as an attempt to mull or trivialise the federal government’s efforts at ameliorating the sufferings of the hoi polloi. Some of our lawmakers are causing confusion.
“How can only one lawmaker openly show his constituents thousands of bags of rice while the rest keep mum? How can the reps admit collecting massive palliatives while senators deny receiving anything? Is the Senate filled with saboteurs and confusionists?”
It read further, “MURIC demands urgent and immediate clarification from the leaderships of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Where are their spokespersons? They must speak up before it is too late. Nigerians are hungry. This is the kind of thing that provokes the people.”
“We appeal to the remaining members of the House who have received the palliatives to quickly begin the sharing among their constituents. We also remind them to add publicity to the exercise. This release of a humongous number of bags of foodstuffs deserves an equally aggressive information outflow.
“Meanwhile we appeal to the good Nigerian people to exercise a little patience while the logistics are being sorted out by the lawmakers. This is definitely not the fault of the government. Tinubu and Shettima have done what they should do by rolling out palliatives. The rest is in the hands of our lawmakers.”
“MURIC would like to assure Nigerians that we will not stop calling out the lawmakers until they distribute what they have received. We are not just here for Allah-given fundamental rights of Muslims alone. We are also here for the welfare of every single Nigerian regardless of creed, ethnicity or gender.”
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