The Ogun State Government has launched the sale of subsidised rice from the Federal Government (FG).
Governor Dapo Abiodun oversaw the launch of the sale of the rice on Thursday, promising that his administration will soon begin implementing the sale of other foodstuffs across the twenty local government areas of Ogun State.
According to Abiodun, the implementation of the scheme across the state would help deepen the reach of the initiative from the FG.
The governor explained that food items such as garri, rice and beans would also be sold at largely subsidised prices.
He announced this during the official flag-off ceremony of the sale of rice at subsidised rates to residents of Ogun State by the FG.
The flag-off ceremony took place at the Arcade Ground of the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
“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.”
Abiodun, 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, commended the state’s Head of Service and his team for a job well done.
Abiodun 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.
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.
The Governor 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.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, who was represented by Mrs. Ayo Ajayi, commended the state for having the best template for the sale of the subsidised rice, adding that the FG would be making use of the template in other states of the country.
Senator Kyari noted that the initiative, which is intended to bring relief to the people, would go a long way in reducing the price of foodstuffs, stating that the procedure involves verification of the National Identity Number (NIN) and the payment of the sum of N40,000 for the subsidised 50 kilograms of rice using the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM).
