The Nigerian Customs Service in Oyo/Osun Area Command has reportedly rejected about 1,800 bags of rice donated by the Federal government.
The FG had instructed the Nigeria Customs Service to donate 1,800 bags of rice each to Oyo, Osun and Ekiti States, and 800 bags to Ondo State as relief support for the area while the economic shutdown lasts in the four states.
In a chat with journalists, the Commissioner noted that “The state had written a letter to the Nigeria Customs Service indicating that the bags of the weevil-infested rice would be returned.”
Oyo State government had rejected the rice, insisting they are not saying they are not good for human consumption.
According to Punch reports, officials of Oyo State Government in the company of the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Jacob Ojemuyiwa were stopped from entering the main gate of the NIS Zonal Headquarters in Ibadan.
Dr Debo Akande, the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde, had rejected the rice saying, it wasn’t good to be consumed.
This was followed with an order that the delegation should turn the rice back to the government.
According to the Commissioner, the team will report back to the State Executive Council for decisions to be made.
The Comptroller of Customs, Oyo/Osun command, Helen Ngozi had handed over the bags of rice each to the governments of Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti, but the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS ) refused that Oyo State government returned the 1,800 bags of rice as unfit for human consumption.
However, three days after taking delivery of the rice, the Oyo State government through the Special Adviser to the State Governor, Debo Akande, said the rice was not healthy for human consumption.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Farouq, got involved in the issue when she said NAFDAC certified the rice as fit for consumption, a claim NAFDAC disagreed.
While reacting, the Customs on Sunday, 26th of March, insisted that the bags of rice be disbursed from its Command Headquarters in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital was safe for consumption.
Premium Times reported that Public Relations Officer of Oyo/Osun Command, Abdullahi Lagos had on Sunday, insisted that the command was embarrassed to hear, three days later, that the rice allocated to Oyo had weevils and were unfit for human consumption.
Many are of the view that the long duration of storage of the seized bags of rice could be responsible for the alleged weevils infestation without any undertones.
