The Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Senator Victor Umeh on Thursday, 18th January 2024, distributed over 124 metric tons of rice to his constituents.
The distribution which took place on Thursday at St Andrew’s Catholic Church Podium, Adazi-Nnukwu, in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra state was fashioned in such a way that the sharing would trickle down to all the wards in the seven Local Government Areas of the Senatorial District.
The seven Local Government Areas are Anaocha, Njikoka, Dunukofia, Awka North, Awka South, Idemili North and Idemili South.
Addressing the representatives of the local government areas/wards, Senator Umeh said the rice palliatives were Federal Government funded emergency food items for federal lawmakers during the Christmas but the contract came late and therefore was not executed and government did not give money to the contractors.
The Senator who was elected on the platform of Labour Party (LP) thanked his constituents for electing him in the 2023 general elections, reassuring them of effective representation in the National Assembly.
He counselled that the palliatives were not only for LP members, but for the poor in the constituency.
He debunked insinuations in some quarters that he was given cash of N200m or N450m for such palliatives.
“I was not given Shishi by anybody for this and no Senator was given any such money by the Federal Government.”
“This is a Federal Government palliatives programme; emergency supply of food items during the Christmas but the contract came late; it was not executed and government did not give money to the contractors.
“The condition is that if you (contractors) are able to supply you come and put your claim and the government will pay you so it is very difficult to execute. We are lucky, the contractor in charge of Anambra Central Senatorial District palliatives has the money to produce this rice.” Umeh said.
The senator said all the rice distributed to his constituents in the district were produce in Anambra State.
Continuing, Umeh said: “The contract is for 124 metric tons of rice, which is 124,000 kilograms of rice. What we have here on ground is 129,000 kilograms of rice; so we surpass by 5000 kilograms according to the contract.
“Despise that, last Christmas I shared 626 bags of 50kg rice and about 600 bags of 25kg rice and marched it with some cash support to the people of Anambra Central as my own palliative’s and as a Senator I spent over N40m million in that exercise in addition to what government has done.
Senator Umeh promised to relaunch his education scheme in March 2024, of which no fewer than 200 tertiary students of his constituency will benefit from.
On the other hand, a representative of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security who was on the ground to monitor the exercise, Engr. Samuel Ekwolo, affirmed to the testimonies of Senator Victor Umeh stressing that no money was given to anybody for the project. He extolled Senator Umeh’s level of sincerity, honesty and transparency in the execution of the project and noted that the project was in full compliance with the Federal Government’s directive. In addition, he noted that though he is not from Anambra Central, the people of Anambra Central Senatorial District are lucky to have Senator Victor Umeh as their Senator.
On his part, the State Chairman of the Labour Party, Chief Ugochukwu Emeh commended Senator Victor Umeh for his proactive performance in the Senate noting that the people of Labour Party are proud having him elected on the platform of the Party. He maintained that Senator Victor Umeh has not only represented Anambra Central well in the past six months of his being in the Senate but has also been very generous in touching many people’s lives positively.