FG, Senators, and contractors are each taking different approaches in dealing with Tinubu’s N200m palliatives — Sen Karimi

New information has emerged regarding the agreement between members of the National Assembly and President Bola Tinubu to distribute grains across the country.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture has issued offer letters to contractors for the supply of grains, but the agreement has not been finalized, and no payment has been made to the contractors yet.

In response to pressure from their constituents, some senators have taken it upon themselves to raise funds for the contractors to begin supplying the grains, while waiting for the government to complete the bidding and due process checks. Sen. Karimi Sunday, a prominent member of the Senate, revealed that the discussions with Tinubu began in October 2023. Tinubu has pledged to distribute the grains through the lawmakers, offering N200 million per senator and N100 million per member of the House.

This initiative was sparked by the dissatisfaction of the 10th National Assembly with how the previous administration distributed palliatives through state governments without involving the senators and House members, who are the true representatives of the people.

Sunday emphasized that the responsibility of handling the situation lies with the Ministry of Agriculture rather than directly providing cash to lawmakers. Despite the contractors receiving letters of award, they have not received any payment.

He explained that the ministry instructed them to bring contractors who would follow the proper procedures through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

Although the contractors have been awarded the contracts, they have not received any payment from the ministry. Sunday clarified that the money would not be paid directly to the senators, but some senators, including himself, collaborated with their contractors to ensure the grains were supplied to their constituents before the Yuletide season.

He mentioned that in his constituency, rice was supplied to his people even beyond the required amount due to his personal commitments. However, Sunday acknowledged that not all his colleagues took the same steps as him to ensure the timely delivery of grains to their constituents.

He stated that some senators and House members made personal commitments and provided their own money to start the supply before Christmas. Therefore, it is false to claim that senators or House members have already received money for the supply of grains, as no payment has been made to them.