Abia State Denies Receiving Federal Government Rice Palliatives
Describing the reports as “fake news,” Kanu also addressed rumors that 50kg bags of rice were being sold for N40,000.
The Abia State Government has dismissed reports claiming that it received 20 trucks of rice as palliative aid from the Federal Government. State Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, refuted the claims, stating that no such palliative has been delivered to the state and that there has been no official communication regarding such assistance.
Describing the reports as “fake news,” Kanu also addressed rumors that 50kg bags of rice were being sold for N40,000. He emphasized that the state has not seen any trucks of rice or received information about selling rice at the mentioned price.
“We didn’t see any truck of rice from the Federal Government,” Kanu asserted. “The issue of selling a 50kg bag of rice for N40,000 is fake news. We rely on official communication from the federal government for palliatives, and no such message has been received.”
When asked about the state’s efforts to address economic hardship, Kanu highlighted the government's approach of empowering residents through skills development alongside traditional palliatives. “We believe in teaching the people how to fish,” he said, stressing that this method complements their palliative strategies.
The Commissioner also indicated that verifying rumors is unnecessary when official channels of communication are not involved, reinforcing the state’s stance against engaging with unverified news.
