Reps reject Umahi’s rice donation over ‘cumbersome’ conditions

David Umahi, minister of works

Some members of the house of representatives have declined to collect bags of rice donated by David Umahi, Minister of Works, citing dissatisfaction with the conditions attached to the distribution.

According to TheCable, the discontent followed the circulation of an internal memo detailing the procedure lawmakers must follow before accessing the rice.

The memo instructed legislative aides to obtain designated forms from the speaker’s office, submit photocopies of official identity cards, and present written authorisation from their principals. The completed documents were to be forwarded to the special adviser on finance for verification.

Lawmakers were also directed to collect the rice from the Garki International Market, near the old Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) quarters, beginning Monday, January 26, after the documentation had been processed.

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Several lawmakers described the process as excessive and said they would not participate. One member questioned why elected representatives should undergo multiple layers of screening to collect 125 kilograms of rice.

Others raised concerns about the choice of collection point, asking why the distribution was routed through a private shop in a public market rather than handled within the national assembly complex.

Some lawmakers said the donation should instead be redirected to vulnerable residents of Ebonyi state.

Umahi served as governor of Ebonyi state between 2015 and 2023. He was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during his second term. He was elected senator in 2023 but later resigned after his appointment as minister of works by President Bola Tinubu.

While donations and welfare gestures from members of the executive to lawmakers are not uncommon, the objections in this case centred on the conditions attached to the distribution, rather than the donation itself.

Oluwatosin Ogunjuyigbe is a writer and journalist who covers business, finance, technology, and the changing forces shaping Nigeria’s economy. He focuses on turning complex ideas into clear, compelling stories.

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