Reprieve has come for majority Members of the National Assembly who came under public opprobrium over the controversial Federal Government's palliatives given to lawmakers for distribution to their respective constituencies and the constituents who became agitated since the plan was divulged.

This is as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has started issuing bill of quantity to successful contractors who are going to carry out the procurement for onward distribution to the federal constituencies.

The bill of quantity was sighted by reporters and it showed that the palliative consists of: "62 parboiled long grain rice with golden standard Enriched with vitamins - and minerals, free from fat; Stone free, not contaminated in any way and in Poly propylene Laminated Bag

It all started when a Member of the House of Representatives from Edo State, Hon. Dekeri Anamer had in a viral video on social media, told his supporters to demand from their Representatives and Senators, the whereabouts of the bags of rice as approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for each of the 360 House Members and 109 Senators.

The delay in conclusion of the procurement process have created crisis which saw lawmakers both and in the Senate and House been accused wrongly of not distributing the items which majority of the Constituents have been waiting for the Ministry of Agriculture to conclude the process and empower the contractors to distribute.

Some of the contractors who spoke to our reporters said the move by the Ministry will help douse tension, correct ongoing misinformation and ensure that the long wait by many constituencies who have not received their palliatives are addressed.

Most Federal Constituencies whose contractors decided to supply the palliative after the award letters have helped in seeing some few constituencies receive their palliative while a greater majority was waiting for their own hence, creating the conflicting information and misinformation that led to some lawmakers been accused wrongly.

The N300 million worth palliatives since being made public by the Edo lawmaker has generated intense controversy and confusion in the polity.

The Senate had debunked claims that each of its Members had taken stock of FG’s palliative items for their constituents.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, said he had yet to receive any palliative items from the federal government.

Similarly, the House of Representatives Spokesperson, Hon. Akin Rotimi had debunked the claims and said the procurement process is at different stages, depending on the constituency, but to be clear, no legislator has been given any money for palliatives.

However, Olusegun Dada, the Special Assistant on Social Media to President Bola Tinubu on his official X handle on Thursday, confirmed the distribution of palliative items worth N200 million to Senators and palliative items worth N100 million to House of Representatives Members.

Again, the House said the rice palliative released by President Tinubu to Members for distribution to their constituents is not missing.

Deputy Spokesperson for the House, Hon. Philip Agbese had in a chat with newsmen blamed bureaucratic bottlenecks from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for the delay being experienced by target beneficiaries of the President’s palliative.

He said: “Indeed, the President released palliatives to lawmakers through the Ministry of Agriculture. Lawmakers have accepted that they are expecting the rice. Some have received; some are yet to receive the rice because of the bureaucratic process ongoing in the ministry.

“I think the Ministry of Agriculture has their own contractors and because of the various distances from one state or constituency to the other, not everybody has received, but some lawmakers have received.”