There seems to be confusion over the 740 truckloads of rice the Federal Government promised to deliver to the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) at the rate of 20 truckloads each last month (July) to alleviate the hunger in the land.

Whereas officials of some state governments said the consignment had arrived and shared to residents, officials of some told Sunday Vanguard they were still expecting the consignment.

But the twist to the story came from Lagos where a top official said the only consignment of palliative they received from the Federal Government was in March and that they were not expecting any fresh delivery.

States which said they had not received the rice palliative as of late week include Taraba, Delta, Niger, Plateau, Zamfara and Abia.

Meanwhile, if the Lagos situation is to apply, then the states claiming not have received the consignment may never get it if they received any in March.

The Minister of State for Steel Development, Uba Maigari, had, penultimate Wednesday, asked residents to hold their governors as the Tinubu administration had provided remedial measures to stem hunger in the country, including the distribution of rice and fertilizers.

Maigari spoke in Jalingo, Taraba State capital, on the sidelines of a town hall engagement with stakeholders ahead of the protest against hunger and hardship in Nigeria.

“The president directed the release of rice and fertilizers in large quantities directly to state governors, whether they are PDP, APC, or APGA”, he said.

“I think you should, as journalists and professionals, do your job by asking state governors, starting from our brother here.

“He has taken delivery of fertilizers the Federal Government sent to governors, and there is also rice delivered to governors across the country.

“These are some of the remedial measures, including the new minimum wage which has just been signed into law, before the long-term economic programmes and policies of government begin to benefit all”.

In Benue, the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, James Iorpuu, declined comment.

Of the states monitored on the weekend, only Kwara, Katsina, and Kaduna claimed to have received the truckloads of rice.

Sunday Vanguard had earlier reported that the rice consignment had been received in Kano, Oyo, Akwa–Ibom, Rivers, and Bayelsa states, among others.

The rice palliative was arranged to ease the hunger affecting poor people, one of the reasons Nigerians trooped out in protest against the government on Thursday and Friday.

Critics, however, say the measure was not enough to address the hardship occasioned by the downturn in the economy.

The Federal Government had, about four weeks ago, precisely, Monday, July 15, said it had allocated 740 trucks of rice to the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, Abuja.

Each state, including the FCT, under the arrangement, was expected to get 20 trucks containing 1,200 bags of 25kg each and the rice was to be distributed to the most vulnerable in the society.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of a meeting of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Minister, who was flanked by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said that the President directed the Minister of Agriculture to ensure that food is made available to Nigerians.

He explained that the distribution of trucks of rice was also to ensure that the hardship in the country was ameliorated, adding that it was expected that the state governors would distribute the trucks of rice to the most vulnerable.

Kwara

Kwara State government officials said they had received the rice consignment but did not release the details of how it was shared.

However, sources said the rice was distributed to residents through groups and professional unions.

For instance, it was gathered that a journalist was contacted by the leadership of the state Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria to get the palliative to his colleagues.

However not even one-third of Christian journalists in the state benefitted from the palliative because it was grossly insufficient.

Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaiye, who was contacted for details of how the rice was shared failed to respond at press time.

Taraba

Our correspondent in Jalingo, Taraba State capital, quoted the state government as saying they had yet to receive the truck loads of rice.

The state Commissioner for Information and Re-Orientation, Zainab Usman Jalingo, told Sunday Vanguard on Thursday that they were still expecting the consignment.

Jalingo noted that the state Commissioner for Special Duties, Saviour Noku, who is supposed to oversee the receipt of the food items, had not received any communication from the Federal Government regarding the delivery of the 20 trucks of rice to the state.

“As far as Taraba State is concerned, we have not received any allocation of twenty trucks of rice”, she said.

Niger

In Niger State, Sunday Vanguard learnt that the rice consignment was yet to be delivered.

Bologi Ibrahim, Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Muhammed Umaru Bago, in a telephone chat, on Friday, said the state was yet to get the palliative.

“As I speak with you, the state is yet to get delivery of the rice consignment. It depends on the destination the consignment is coming from, but, for now, Niger State is yet to get the trucks of rice”.

Plateau

The situation is not entirely different in Plateau where government officials said that the state was yet to get the trucks of rice promised by the Federal Government.

Penultimate week, the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Musa Ashoms, had told Sunday Vanguard, “Not yet, there has been communication and they will come when they will come. When we receive the trucks, we will announce them to the public because we are very transparent and accountable; we don’t hide what we do.

“Whatever we get in trust for our people will be given to the people. Whenever things come to the state, we set committees for fair sharing, equity, and transparency. When the trucks arrive, we will let the people know.”

Similarly, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Samson Bugama, on Thursday, stated, “The trucks are yet to arrive. Plateau State is still expecting ours, once the trucks come in, it will be made known that we have received them.”

He declined to mention the reasons for the delay and insisted, “All I know is that the trucks have not arrived yet”.

Abia

On its part, Abia State government said it was yet to receive the trucks of rice.

The state Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, told Sunday Vanguard on Friday that no such palliative had arrived in the state, adding that there was no communication from the Federal Government for any such palliative.

Kanu also dismissed as fake reports that the Federal Government had distributed 50kg bags for rice to states for sale at N40, 000 each.

He said:” We didn’t see any truck of rice from the Federal Government. And the issue of selling 50kg bag of rice for N40, 000 is fake news.

“We don’t deal with rumours and speculations. There has been a way the Federal Government communicates with us when it has to do with palliative, and no such message has come from the Federal Government.”

Asked whether it was not proper for the state government to open channels of communication with the Federal Government on the issue, he said it was not necessary.

“There is no point for us to be wasting our time looking for where to verify the news. If the news was authentic, we could have gotten the message as a government straight from the Federal Government. No such thing happened!”

Responding to a question on the efforts of the state government to cushion the effects of the economic hardship on Abia residents, the Commissioner said the state government “believes in teaching the people how to fish” in addition to giving them palliatives.

“We have been doing all that. It’s a continuous process. We have shared palliative about four times since this government came to power. We received about twice from the Federal Government and we did the other ones on our own.

“Not too long ago, we shared rice to workers from grade level 0-7. Currently, the office in charge of palliative is compiling the list of workers from level 8-10 for another round of palliative. It’s a continuous thing.

“Even in August, the governor’s wife will also reach out to indigent people in society. We are a people focused government. Our policies are directed towards improving on the people’s welfare. “Recently, the state sponsored some Abians to Nassarawa State to understudy farming.

“So, it’s not just by sharing rice. The governor also distributed N100, 000 interest free loans to 10, 000 Abians. We believe in teaching people how to fish instead of giving them fish to eat”.

Delta

In Delta, the 20 truckloads of rice had not arrived as of Thursday.

Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Delta State governor, Sir Festus Ahon, confirmed this to Sunday Vanguard.

Ahon’s words: “We do not know what is causing the delay, but once we receive them, we will let Deltans know.”

Zamfara

Our correspondent in Zamfara State quoted the Director General (DG) on Media and Communications, Government House, Gusau, Nuhu Salihu, as saying the state government was yet to even get the letter of rice allocation from the Federal Government.

The DG further said the moment the Federal Government was ready to send the allocation to the state, officials will be appropriately notified.

Rivers

In Rivers State where Governor Siminilayi Fubara said they had received 21,650 bags of grains, consisting of 3,680 bags of garri, and 17, 970 bags of corn, he explained that the state government constituted a committee to evenly distribute the items across the 23 local government areas of the state.

The Caretaker Committee Chairman of Khana local government area, Marvin Yorbana, claimed to have given a stipend of N145,000, 35 bags of grains, and eight bags of garri to each of the 19 wards of the council.

Cross River

In Cross River State, the Director General of the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, told Sunday Vanguard: “Between April and May 2024, we received food items from the Federal Government National Strategic Reserve.

“The items include 3,384 bags of garri (25k), 24,000 bags of rice (25kg), and 14,040 bags of maize (50kg).

“The maize, with Governor Bassey Out’s approval, was swapped for beans (600 bags of 100kg) and 800 bags of 50kg garri”.

He clarified that In July 2024, 20 trucks of food items, including garri, rice, and beans, were received and shared among the 18 local government areas of the state.

The vulnerable, disabled, communities, groups, households, and organizations, according to him, received quantities of foodstuff as they were distributed to all parts of the state and “no one would say he did not get a share of the food, no matter how little.”

But a traditional ruler in Bakassi, Chief Edem Archibong, told our reporter that the rations that got to his community were “a far cry from what we expected, as some people got three cups of rice, others got two, and the garri was terrible. It looked like animal feed.”

Archibong said government should bring down the cost of fuel and subsidize food prices, rather than bringing “animal food to us in the name of palliative”.

Kaduna

In Kaduna, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor did not respond to our inquiry concerning the 20 trucks of rice allocated to the state.

However, a reliable source in the government circle told our correspondent that the truckloads of rice had arrived in the state, but he didn’t know how the rice was being shared.

Katsina

Katsina State government confirmed the arrival of the 20 truckloads of rice.

Acting Governor Faruq Lawal Jobe made the disclosure during a meeting with key stakeholders, including security chiefs, government officials, and local government leaders, at the state Government House on Monday.

To ensure equitable distribution of the rice, the state government has established a seventeen-member committee headed by the Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Faskari.

The committee, inaugurated on Friday, is tasked with verifying the quantity of the rice received from the Federal Government, developing a distribution plan for the state’s 34 local government areas, and establishing local committees to oversee distribution at the grassroots level.

The committee will also monitor the distribution process in all local governments, provide regular updates to the public on its activities, and submit a comprehensive report to the government within three weeks of its inauguration.

The Acting Governor commended the Katsina State Care Authority (KT-CARE) and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for their efforts in providing empowerment and relief assistance to residents. He disclosed that KT-CARE has disbursed N300 million in empowerment funds, while SEMA has allocated over N63 million for relief materials.

Lagos

Lagos State government officials said there were no fresh trucks of rice being expected from the Federal Government as it received truckloads of rice in March and distributed same appropriately.

It also assured that there were ongoing measures to boost food sufficiency and affordability in the state.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Imota Rice Mill, Dr Oluwarotimi Fashola, clarified when contacted on the whereabouts of the reported 20 truckloads of rice for Lagos.

Fashola told Sunday Vanguard, “The Ministry received trucks of rice from the Federal Government (in several batches) in March.

“The rice came at a time when the state was also aggregating food items (bags of beans and garri) for the implementation of Phase 2 of the State Food Bank Programme.

“The bags of rice were subsequently applied as part of the food palliative distributed to vulnerable households through the Community Development Committees, State Institutions, military and paramilitary organisations, including the Nigerian Police Force.

“When this announcement on the release of 20 trucks of rice to the states was made by the Federal Government in July, the Ministry was then informed that the state (Lagos) had received its own consignment in March 2024 which, of course, had been distributed back then, so Lagos is not expecting any fresh consignment of truckloads of rice”.

However, to cushion the effect of hardship in the country occasioned by the economic downturn and insecurity which led to farmers fleeing the farms thus worsening food insecurity in Nigeria, the Lagos administration launched the EKOCARES, a social protection initiative. Under this programme, the state government introduced the Sunday Discount Markets where residents bought basic foodstuff at 25 per cent discount rate across the state.

Recall that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had previously initiated the distribution of food supplies to 500,000 vulnerable households in the state to mitigate the impacts of fuel subsidy removal.

Sanwo-Olu explained that the primary objective of the program was to provide essential food items to vulnerable households in two different ways.

The first category received bulk food items such as 50kilograms of garri and 100kg of beans.

The second category, vulnerable households, received food boxes containing 10kg of garri, and 5kg of beans.

The governor said he was aware of the challenges faced by many residents due to increased transportation costs and higher prices of essential goods following the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.

One of the measures announced and formally flagged off was the distribution of food items for vulnerable households through the Lagos Food Bank Programme.

“The strategic goal of this programme is to reach 500,000 vulnerable households in the state with staple food items using two methodologies – bulk and individual”, he said.

“Bulk food items include (50kg Rice, 50kg Garri and 100kg Beans) for groups; and food boxes (10kg Rice, 5kg Garri, and 5kg Beans) for individual vulnerable households”.

Sharing

To ensure transparency in the implementation of the intervention, Sanwo-Olu created a monitoring committee comprising representatives from various sectors such as religious groups, trade unions, people with disabilities, civil society organisations, youth groups, community development councils, and the Lagos House of Assembly.

The distribution was carried out in phases among the beneficiary groups to facilitate the process. Each group were duly informed of the collection dates.

Speaking on the scope of the food palliative program, the governor said: “Overall, the initiative will directly impact 500,000 benefitting households, over 2,500 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises involved in bag manufacturing, food aggregation, packaging, and logistics, while over 25,000 employees of the MSMEs will be indirectly impacted.”

He, therefore, solicited the support of well-meaning and public-spirited individuals and organisations for this programme so that more people in need of this intervention could be reached.

“Be rest assured that adequate measures have been put in place to ensure that all items received get to the intended beneficiaries,” he assured.

Sanwo-Olu, penultimate Thursday, also urged agro and food processing companies to work toward reducing their prices given the current economic hardship as a way of alleviating the impacts in giving back to the society as well as ensuring food security in Nigeria.

He noted that Nigerians were going through tough times; therefore, private organisations, particularly agro and food processing companies, should think about people’s survival and sustainability above profitability during this crucial period in Nigeria.

The governor spoke during a courtesy visit by the Senior Management Team of Olam Agric Nigeria, led by its Managing Director, Mr Anil Nasir, at Lagos House, Marina, on Thursday.

Sanwo-Olu, who stressed the need for food security and support from every well-meaning individual and organisation, said his administration has done a lot through several intervention programmes to cushion the effects of economic hardship on the residents of Lagos State, adding that he would do more to continue to provide succour for the people.

According to him, “Agro and food processing is a critical industry because food security and food systems are as critical as people trying to safeguard either medical security or even sovereign security in times of war.

There is no better security these days than food. (Sunday Vanguard)

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