As part of the Federal Government’s effort to provide subsidised rice to help alleviate the ongoing food crisis in the country, the much anticipated sale of N40,000 per bag of rice has commenced in Ogun state.
Governor Dapo Abiodun during the flag off ceremony held at the Arcade Ground, Abeokuta, stated that his administration will soon begin implementing the sale of other subsidised foodstuffs across the twenty local government areas of the state. The governor also said that the implementation of the scheme across the state would help deepen the reach of the initiative, adding that food items like garri, rice, and beans would be sold at largely subsidised prices.
He said; “We will soon be implementing our own version of this scheme from each local government, meaning we will implement this across the twenty local government areas of the state to deepen the reach into our grassroots”
He explained that “We will be selling food items like garri, rice, and beans at heavily subsidised prices.”
The governor added that the distribution will cover groups like civil servants at both the federal and state levels, workers in organised private sector, artisans, trade unions, non-governmental organisations, student bodies, market women, community development associations, and traditional and religious organisations, among others. Governor Abiodun assured people of the state of equity, as he said that office of the Head of Service and the Ministry of Agriculture, along with the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), developed a well-structured template that would ensure a wide and equitable spread of the commodity across the 20 local government areas of the state.
He also promised that with the flag-off of the sale of the subsidised rice in Abeokuta for Ogun Central Senatorial District, that of Ilaro for Ogun West Senatorial District and Ijebu-Ode for Ogun East Senatorial District would also take off immediately. He, therefore, urged the beneficiaries to maintain law and order at the various sales points and follow the timetable set by the committee to avoid crowding, adding that additional sales points will be established.
“To ensure accountability, there will be no cash payments; payment will be made through Point of Sales (PoS) machines, and beneficiaries will undergo physical verification at the point of sale.
“No double registration will be allowed; NIN will be verified to ensure that we prevent any sharp practices.
“This distribution will be carried out transparently and fairly, ensuring that these palliatives reach those we have targeted,” he said.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for the initiative, which he said was a testament to his commitment to tackle the issue of food inflation, adding that the president has shown capacity and love for the people of the country.
Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, who was represented by Ayo Ajayi, commended the state for having the best template for the sale of subsidised rice, adding that the Federal Government would be making use of the template in other states of the country. The initiative, which is intended to bring relief to the people, would go a long way in reducing the price of foodstuffs, stating that the procedure involves verification of the National Identity Number (NIN), and the payment of the sum of N40,000 for the subsidised 50 kilograms of rice using the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM).
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BEGINS SALE OF N40,000 BAG OF RICE IN OGUN STATE
