The Oyo state government led by Governor Seyi Makinde has announced plans to return the 1,800 bags of infested rice the Federal government donated to the state as COVID-19 palliatives to cushion the economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
NewsOne Nigeria reports that the executive assistant on Agribusiness to Oyo state governor, Dr Debo Akande, explained that the 1,800 bags of rice from the Federal Government were infested with weevil and not suitable for consumption.
This burgeoning online news platform understands that the Oyo State Government received the bags of rice from the Federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, April 20 as Coronavirus palliatives.
“We received these items from the Federal Government via the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development and we brought them to the warehouse. It was in the process of further inspection that we discovered that the rice had been infested with weevils.
“On that basis, we formed a committee to re-inspect it so we can be sure of what we have received. We don’t want to create another problem while providing solution to another one. We have inspected it; we have done random selection and we have seen that similar things apply across the board.
“We have agreed to return them to the source but if there are good ones with good quality that could be sent to us as replacement, we will be glad to receive them,” the executive assistant on Agribusiness to the governor said.
Meanwhile, NewsOne Nigeria reports that this is coming after President Buhari directed the Nigeria Customs Service early this month to release One hundred and Fifty trucks of rice that have been seized from smugglers over a period of time.
The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development led by Sadiya Farouq have been distributing these bags of rice to different states which would, in turn, distribute to the poor and vulnerable in the society as palliatives for Coronavirus lockdown.
