By joshua 
By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State on Thursday urged the people of the state to hold Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki responsible for the hardship in the state for allegedly diverting palliatives meant for the people from the Federal government .
Briefing newsmen in Benin, Edo APC chairman, Jarrett Tenebe accused Obaseki of diversion of Federal Government Palliatives which he attributed to be responsible for Hunger in Edo State.
Tenebe said Obaseki and his faction of the People’s Democratic Party have frustrated the genuine efforts of the federal government to considerably reduce the impact of economic hardship on Nigerians, especially in Edo State.
“Yesterday, Edo people watched Obaseki in disbelief during his hurriedly put together state broadcast, how in his eight minutes speech, he refused to acknowledge or give account of the various financial grants and other palliatives his administration has received from the Federal Government. Instead, as usual, he wobbled and fumbled while struggling to blame his failure on his imaginary fictional story of plans by APC to attack government institutions in Edo State. ”
Reacting to the allegation by the APC , the Edo State Government has said it does not keep relief materials in its warehouses, as the government’s feeding programme for vulnerable persons in the State is being implemented through religious bodies.
The Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, in a statement made available to newsmen said the videos making the rounds emanating from the Urora axis of Ikpoba Hill, Benin City, is the handiwork of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in a desperate attempt to score cheap political points.
He said, “The Edo State Government has received information about the looting of bags of rice from an unidentified truck and private residences in parts of Benin City in the wake of the #EndBadGovernance protests.
“The videos making the rounds are said to have emanated from the Urora axis of Ikpoba Hill, Benin City, and the government does not have a warehouse in that location.
Adding that, The government supports the vulnerable with relief materials through religious organisations particularly the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and the Muslim leaders in the State.
“The State government does not keep any relief material by itself but reaches out to the people through these channels.”
The State Government further fingered the APC for the misleading video, adding, “We will not put this tactic past the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is spreading malicious content to score cheap political points. This condemnable action is intended to cause chaos in the state and the APC is discouraged from such ignoble practice.”
Nehikhare added, “The public is enjoined to disregard the malicious message that these people are trying to send with the video. We want to once again urge protesters not to attack or destroy the property of others as they go about their demonstration in a peaceful and orderly manner.”