The Federal Government has commenced the sale of 50kg rice for ₦40,000 in Abeokuta, the state capital of Ogun State.
The sale is part of the initiatives being put in place by the government towards ameliorating the current socioeconomic challenges, occasioned by the removal of subsidies on petroleum products by the Federal Government.
Flagging off the sale at a ceremony held at the Arcade ground in the state capital,the governor disclosed that his administration will soon begin implementing the sale of other subsidised foodstuffs across the twenty local government areas of the state.
He noted 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.
“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 said
“We will be selling food items like garri, rice, and beans at heavily subsidised prices,” he said.
While noting that both the federal and state governments believe that the key to sustainable development lies in being strategic, guided by the principles of inclusiveness, transparency, fairness, and accountability, however, commended the state’s Head of Service and his team for a job well done.
The governor said that the distribution will cover groups like civil servants at both the federal and state levels, organized private sector, artisans, trade unions, non-governmental organizations, student bodies, market women, community development associations, and traditional and religious organizations, among others.
He assured the people of the state that the office of the Head of Service and the Ministry of Agriculture, along with the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), has 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.
The governor said 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.
Governor Dapo Abiodun 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 Ahmed 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.
He noted that if the sale and distribution of petroleum products were not liberalized 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, said that the initiative is powered by the Federal Government to enhance the livelihood of the citizens.
