Some members of the House of Representatives have rejected bags of rice donated by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, protesting what they described as humiliating conditions attached to the distribution process.
The lawmakers expressed displeasure over the procedure required to access the donation, saying it was inappropriate and degrading for elected representatives.
According to details of the arrangement, lawmakers’ aides were asked to collect forms from the Speaker’s office, attach photocopies of identity cards, obtain authorisation from their principals, and submit the documents to the office of a special adviser on finance before the rice could be released.
They were also directed to pick up the rice from a shop located at the Garki International Market in Abuja — a step that reportedly triggered outrage among lawmakers.
One of the lawmakers described the process as “undignified”, questioning why members of the House should be subjected to such conditions to collect 125kg of rice.
“Why should we go through all this stress to collect rice? It is undignified,” the lawmaker said.
Some lawmakers argued that the donation should have been channelled to ordinary Nigerians struggling with economic hardship rather than legislators, while others questioned the choice of a public market as the collection point.
The controversy has exposed underlying tensions over protocol, dignity, and public perception within the National Assembly, as well as the sensitive nature of gift-giving between public officials in a time of widespread economic hardship.
For many Nigerians, the episode reflects a broader disconnect between political gestures and the realities of citizens battling rising food prices and declining purchasing power.
