Senator Adenigba Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District in the Senate, has urged President Bola Tinubu to utilize National Assembly members to implement more programs aimed at easing the impact of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians, particularly those living in rural areas.
At the start of the distribution of 1,800 50kg bags of rice to the people of Osun East Senatorial District, the lawmaker emphasized the importance of National Assembly members in addressing the needs of rural communities, given the diminished role of local government in governance structure.
It is worth noting that the Federal Government recently provided bags of rice to National Assembly members for distribution to their constituents as part of efforts to mitigate the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
A statement from Fadahunsi’s media assistant, Sam Segun-Progress, revealed that the beneficiaries, predominantly rural dwellers, were selected from 106 wards across the 10 local government areas in the Senatorial District.
In addition to constituents, special groups such as religious bodies, political parties, security agencies, media practitioners, women's organizations, and traditional rulers also received varying numbers of rice bags as relief, as mentioned by the lawmaker's representative, Ayo Awodirepo, who attended the event.
Fadahunsi emphasized that this collaboration between the presidency and the National Assembly demonstrates the shift in focus towards using lawmakers, particularly those in the National Assembly, as the primary channel to reach rural residents following the decline of local government's influence.
Quoted in the statement by Sam-Progress, Fadahunsi expressed satisfaction with the timely and impactful nature of the intervention, highlighting the responsiveness of the president and the dedication of representatives to the welfare of the people, despite any associated risks.
The senator pledged to persist in efforts to alleviate the burden of the harsh economy on the populace and suggested that the government should rely more on National Assembly members to deliver similar initiatives to the grassroots, commending the president for the current initiative.
However, he urged leaders of the beneficiary groups to ensure the effective distribution of the food items among their members.
