The Oyo State Government has indicated that it may return about 1,800 bags of rice which was reportedly donated to the state by the Federal Government as part of the COVID19 palliative.
THE DAILY VENDOR gathered that the state government may consider return of the three trailer loads of rice on the grounds that the rice had been infested with weevils.
It was learnt that Oyo state government took delivery of the rice through the Nigeria Customs Service on Monday.
Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Agribusiness, Dr Debo Akande, on Friday explained that the trailer loads of rice from the Federal Government had spoilt.
He said, “We received these items from the Federal Government via the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development and we brought them to the warehouse. It was in the process of further inspection that we discovered that the rice had been infested with weevils.
“On that basis, we formed a committee to re-inspect it so we can be sure of what we have received.
“We don’t want to create another problem while providing solution to another one. We have inspected it; we have done random selection and we have seen that similar things apply across the board.
“We have agreed to return them to the source but if there are good ones with good quality that could be sent to us as replacement, we will be glad to receive them.”
But Akande however promised that the setback would not in any way delay the earlier planned distribution of palliatives by the state.
He added, “We all know that a good number of food items have been received by the Food Security Committee of the Task Force and they would be distributed in the next couple of days. We have in place a robust system for distribution and we have finalised on it.”