Oyo state government has stated that the 1,800 bags of rice donated by the federal government through the Nigerian Customs Service were all infected and unhealthy for human consumption.
Executive Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde, Dr. Debo Akande who confirmed this to newsmen on Friday at the secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan said the committees set up to re-examine the rice have warned that it is not consumable.
He said the state government discovered that the grains of rice were infested by weevil and other pests, and took the decision in the interest of the health of residents of the state.
While revealing that the rice will be rejected and returned, Dr. Akande added that the rejection will not delay the distribution of palliatives to the vulnerable in the state.
He said the state has received a large number of items that will be distributed in the next couple of days.
It will be recalled that Mrs. Helen Ngozi, the Area Controller, Oyo and Osun Customs command, had on Monday, 20th of April, 2020, delivered 1,800 bags of rice to the Oyo state government on behalf of the Nigeria Customs Service with the claim that all the 1,800 bags of rice were good for consumption, saying the customs would never mix expired rice with good ones.
