The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Thursday, unveiled the sale of Federal Government subsidised rice in the state, noting that his administration would soon commence the implementation of other subsidised foodstuffs across the 20 local governments.
During a ceremony held at the Arcade Ground of the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, the governor announced that food items such as garri, rice, and beans would be sold at largely subsidised prices to further ease the impact of rising food costs on residents.
“We will soon be implementing our 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.
We will be selling food items like garri, rice, and beans at heavily subsidised prices,” Abiodun said.
He added that both the federal and state governments believe that sustainable development must be strategic and guided by principles of inclusiveness, transparency, fairness, and accountability.
Governor Abiodun commended the state’s Head of Service, Kehinde Onasanya, and his team for their efforts, stating that the distribution would benefit various groups, including civil servants, the organised private sector, artisans, trade unions, non-governmental organisations, student bodies, market women, community development associations, and traditional and religious organisations.
He assured residents that a well-structured template had been developed by the office of the Head of Service, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to ensure the equitable distribution of commodities across the state’s 20 local governments.
The unveiling of the sale of subsidised rice in Abeokuta for Ogun Central Senatorial District will be followed immediately by similar launches in Ilaro for Ogun West and Ijebu-Ode for Ogun East.
Urging beneficiaries to maintain law and order at the sales points, Abiodun emphasized the need to follow the timetable set by the committee overseeing the scheme.
“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.
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This distribution will be carried out transparently and fairly, ensuring that these palliatives reach those we have targeted,” the governor assured.
Governor Abiodun also praised President Bola Tinubu for launching the initiative, describing it as a testament to the president’s commitment to addressing food inflation.
He added, “If the sale and distribution of petroleum products were not liberalised by the government, it would have cost the country over N11 trillion in a year.”
In his remarks, the Head of Service, Mr. Kehinde Onasanya, highlighted the Federal Government’s role in powering the initiative to enhance citizens’ livelihoods.
He praised Ogun State’s template for the distribution of the subsidised rice, which he said would serve as a model for other states.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Mrs. Ayo Ajayi commended Ogun State for its efficient template, adding that the Federal Government would adopt it in other states.
“The initiative, which is intended to bring relief to the people, will go a long way in reducing the price of foodstuffs.
The procedure involves verification of the National Identity Number (NIN) and payment of N40,000 for the subsidised 50 kilograms of rice using the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM),” she explained.
The state chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Waheed Oloyede, also lauded Governor Abiodun for the continuous release of funds to settle pensioners’ gratuities.
Oloyede acknowledged the governor for being the first in the country to adopt the Federal Government’s initiative with the launch of the programme.
