COVID 19:FG Directs Customs to Share Rice, Opens Grains Reserve

By Fola James

The Nigerian Customs Service, NCS has been directed by President Muhammadu Buhari to open its warehouses across the country and distribute seized food items to Nigerians, as part of the effort to cushion the effects of the corona virus emergency.

The minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed said in Abuja few hours ago that the federal government has “approved grains from strategic grain reserves. The Nigerian Customs had in its custody a lot of rice that have been seized. There are 150 trucks of rice that are now handed over to the humanitarian ministry for distribution to the states across the federation”.

Thousands of bags of rice, palm oil, vegetable oil, condiments and provisions are stored up in NCS warehouses in the six geo-political zones in the country.

These items will now be distributed as stimulus package to vulnerable Nigerians, the minister said.

Apart from this, the federal government has also directed the National Directorate of Employment, NDE to employ 774,000 Nigerians as farm extension workers.

Each of the 774 local governments across the country are expected to contribute 1000 workers to this project, expected to take off by September this year.

Ahmed said “Mr President has now approved that this programme is extended to all 36 states and the FCT from October 2020 to December 2020.

The selected time frame is to ensure that the programme is implemented after the planting season is over, and it will result in the employment of about 774,000 Nigerians (that is, 1,000 people per each local government).

N60 billion in allowances and operational costs have been earmarked from the COVID-19 crisis intervention fund for this initiative.”

Meanwhile, well meaning Nigerians have expressed doubts whether indeed, the palliatives will be allowed to get to those who really need them.

They say painstaking efforts should be carried out by the government to make sure the items are not diverted by politicians to their own use and those of their cronies.

Suggestion came on the crest of recent claim by the presidency that over N5 billion has been distributed to Nigerians as part of the government effort to help them survive the stay-at home order.