Only a few states appear to have received the 20 trucks of rice palliative earmarked for each of the 36 states by the Federal Government and the issue is causing anxiety, Sunday Vanguard understands.
A survey at the weekend shows no northern state apart from Kano had received the consignment of rice while in the South-West, only Oyo claimed that the trucks had arrived.
In the South-South, Akwa–Ibom, Rivers, and Bayelsa States’ officials confirmed receiving the latest palliative while others said they had not arrived.
Delta State government said the rice had not been received as of Friday noon while Edo and Cross River States’ officials did not respond to inquiries.
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The Federal Government had, last Monday, said it had allocated 740 trucks of rice to the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.
Each state including the FCT, under the arrangement, is expected to get 20 trucks containing 1,200 bags of 25kg each and the rice is 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 the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting 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 is ameliorated, adding that it’s expected that the state governors will distribute the trucks of rice to the most vulnerable.
