By Olawale Kolawole, Abeokuta
The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, launched the sale of subsidised rice in the state on Thursday, as he disclosed that his administration will soon begin implementing the sale of other subsidised foodstuffs across the twenty local government areas of the state.
Governor Abiodun 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.
The Governor made this known during the official flag-off ceremony of the sale of rice at subsidised rates to residents of the state by the Federal Government, held 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.
"We will be selling food items like garri, rice, and beans at heavily subsidised prices," he said.
Governor 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.
Prince 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, 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), have 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 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.
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.
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 Federal Government 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).
In his remarks, the state chairman of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, Chief Waheed Oloyede, commended Governor Abiodun for the continuous release of funds for the settlement of the gratuities of pensioners in the state, also acknowledging the Governor for being the first in the country to key into the initiative of the Federal Government with the launch of the program.
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