A number of Nigerians have been unable to access the N40,000 bag of rice promised by the federal government due to civil servants? irregularities and deliberate lack of clarity.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security had, on September 5, flagged off the sale of 30,000 metric tons of milled rice to Nigerians, saying that the rice, which is to be sold at a flat rate of N40, 000, was part of the government?s intervention in ameliorating the food crisis faced by Nigerians.

Haruna Sule Abutu, director, Food and Strategic Reserves, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said that the programme would have multiple sales points in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and would further spread to states.

?The rice is not just for public servants, it is going to go round all the country. Every state is allocated a certain quota and in the FCT, we will have as many as five to six points of sales,? he said.

Abutu further said that individuals interested in the 50kg bag of rice must have the National Identification Numbers (NINs), noting that buyers can pay for their products in Abuja and pick up their bags in various states to eliminate any form of stampede.

BusinessDay findings revealed that by the second week of sales, the ministry had begun with five sales points, which were: the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) headquarters, the Head of Service headquarters, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Secretariat.

However, findings showed that these sales points no longer exist as the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has moved them to only one location: the National Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC).

Worse still, the rice has not got to the states as promised.

Also, BusinessDay was told that several bags of rice have been shared by ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

As at press time, the quantity of rice that had been shared by the MDAs was unknown.

Abutu, director of Food and Strategic Reserves, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, whose agency is responsible for the sales and distribution, did not respond to text and WhatsApp messages regarding the question and why the rice has not got to the states. He also did not pick phone calls from one of our correspondents.

On Monday, September 9, 2024, some Nigerians purchased the 50kg rice at the National Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) at N40,000.

However, by Tuesday, September 10, a crowd had emerged at the center, overwhelming the fewer than 10 staff members overseeing the NIN confirmation for buyers.

Vincess Okushi, an Abuja-based online journalist, expressed concerns over the process, stating that it was devoid of clarity and transparency.

?Today, I found myself at NAIC. We stood in line from morning till evening, only to leave empty handed, without a grain of rice.

?Following this, we proceeded to the Office of the Head of Service (HoS), where we discovered that the rice was being sold within various ministries. This approach was met with discontent, as many voiced their frustrations over the exclusion of non-staff from the sales process.

?Upon further investigation, coordinators at the Ministry of Science and Technology explained that each ministry, agency, and department has allocated slots for the rice, and selling to non-staff would deprive employees of their share.

?This brings me to my concern: the only public access point for this rice, NAIC, appears to have been shut down, leaving citizens to navigate long lines and poorly managed distribution processes that put their safety at risk. Many, including us journalists, have abandoned our work just to secure this essential commodity, all in vain.?

Also speaking with BusinessDay, Chioma (surname withheld for safety reasons), a civil servant, lamented that she was unable to buy the rice.

?We want to buy, but until the agencies handling the sales finish selling to their staff, we cannot have access. In fact, as of yesterday (September 10), I learnt they had exhausted the supply given to them. We will get it when it gets to us,? she said.

A staff member of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: ?I need the rice but cannot go through the process of queuing for hours. If the government wants civil servants to get rice, they can send it to all the MDAs. How can they delegate less than five sales points of sales in the FCT, knowing the population of civil servants??

States yet to receive

Civil servants in states have lamented the unavailability of the subsidised rice by the federal government.

Speaking to our correspondent, one of the staff members in the Lagos State Ministry of Education, who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press, called on the federal government to fulfill its promise of providing subsidised rice to all states.

?The federal government needs to fulfill its promise on the N40,000 rice. We are yet to see rice after several weeks of announcement. The people are hungry, yet we are yet to receive any rice,? he said.

In Ondo State, a civil servant, who simply identified herself as Motunrayo, decried the impact of the delay in distributing the N40,000 rice.

?This is taking longer than expected. The federal government should consider the rate at which food costs are affecting Nigerians. We are yet to see the rice in Ondo State, let alone know its distribution centres. The federal government needs to act fast,? she said.

A civil servant In Ekiti State, who also pleaded anonymity, urged the federal government to disclose to Nigerians when it would be available, rather than keep their hopes high.

?The rice the federal government said would be sold for N40,000 is yet to arrive in Ekiti. The federal government needs to announce to us if it has distributed the rice, rather than keep our hopes high and /or is the state government hiding this?? she asked.

Also, a staff member in Enugu State civil service said no ministry has received the government rice in the state.

State govts respond

Reacting, Ebenezer Adeniyan, chief press secretary to Ondo State governor, said on Wednesday that the state was yet to receive such palliatives from the federal government.

Also, Gbenga Omotosho, commissioner of information in Lagos State, said he had no information on the availability of the rice in the state as of Wednesday.

Similarly, Debo Adeniji, public relations officer, Public Service Office, Lagos State, said there was no record of such palliatives and the state was yet to receive the bags of rice.

Meanwhile, in a phone conversation, Kolapo Alimi, Osun State commissioner of information, on Wednesday, said the state was yet to receive the bags of rice.

?Information would be made available to the public once received,? he added.

However, a staff member of the ministry, who spoke on grounds of anonymity, assured that the sales are ongoing, even though the ministry is yet to send allocations to states. (BusinessDay)

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