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His comments followed the government's decision to distribute 1,200 bags of rice to each minister as part of its grassroots palliative measures.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, highlighted this initiative and explained that the rice would be specifically targeted at the elderly in his state.
"Following the decision of the Presidency to respond to the yearnings of the Nigerian people to make more food available at the grassroots, 1,200 bags were made available to each minister," Alake stated in a press release on Sunday.
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He further explained that while these bags of rice would initially be distributed to the aged, future interventions would include widows, orphans, people living with disabilities, and students.
Shaibu criticises Tinubu's 1,200 bags of rice scheme for ministers
![Phrank Shaibu, special assistant on public communication to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. [Screengrab]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'790'%20height%3D'445'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Phrank Shaibu, special assistant on public communication to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. [Screengrab]")
Phrank Shaibu, special assistant on public communication to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. [Screengrab]
Pulse Nigeria
However, Shaibu, in a scathing response posted on X (formerly Twitter), lambasted the government's reliance on rice for every national issue.
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He questioned the administration's understanding of basic nutritional needs, citing potential health risks such as beriberi, a condition caused by Vitamin B1 deficiency.
"Could it be that every aide of President Bola Tinubu skipped the foundational lessons of primary school?" Shaibu mocked.
"No power? Serve rice. No fuel? More rice. Bad governance? A bag of rice. Floods? Rice once again. High electricity tariffs? You guessed it—rice."
Shaibu concluded with a satirical suggestion, "At the very least, add 'ewa oloyin' (honey beans) to the rice to save our people from Beriberi."
