COVID 19: NCS Says No Poisonous Rice Is Given As Palliatives

By Olusakin Babalola,Ibadan

The Nigeria Customs Service, Oyo /Osun Command has described as false and misleading, a media publication that 1800 bags of rice given to the States governments as palliatives to alleviate the hardships foisted on the masses by the COVID-19 were expired rice
that may be poisonous to consumers.

The Management of NCS said that the palliatives were given in good spirit and were done with compliance with due process adding that foul play was suspected in the delivery of consignment and sequent report of weevils in some bags after some days

Mr.ABDULAHI Abiola Lagos ,the Zonal Public Relations Officer of NCS said that as a responsible government agency,it cannot allow into the country that could affect the innocent citizens adding that media publication on the allegation was in bad taste.

In a press statement,ABDULAHI said
“The attention of the Oyo/Osun Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has been drawn to some mischievous and deliberate falsehood being circulated in the media for reasons best known to their
author(s) concerning the Federal Government’s palliative given to Oyo State among other states.

“As a responsible agency of Government whose functions include ensuring that nothing that could compromise the security, economy and general being of Nigerians are allowed into the Country, we cannot turn round and be associated with giving anything that will negatively affect our people.

“We therefore wish to state
that in line with the Federal Government’s effort to cushion the hardship in the nation, the CGC had
directed the distribution of relief items including bags of rice across the nation through the Ministry of
Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management as palliative to the vulnerable in the wake of COVID-19
pandemic.

“As instructed, on the 20th of April 2020, the Oyo/Osun Area Command received high ranking members of the Oyo State Government in the persons of the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural
Development, Mr Jacob Ojekunle; the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Saidat Bolatumi
Oloko; Executive Adviser to the Governor on Agribusiness, Mr Debo Akande; The representative of Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and Social Development in Oyo, Mrs MO Lasisi and other members. They visited the command twice on the same day to inspect the bags of rice
that were available for allocation.

“The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller, HU Ngozi led them to the warehouses where they inspected
the bags of rice, checked expiration dates and expressed satisfaction and readiness to evacuate their
allocation.

“Before leaving the command on their second visit, they pleaded to be given those from a section of one
of the warehouses they considered “fresher” and this was granted.

“Subsequently, on the 21st of April 2020, the Oyo State Government team came with their vehicles under the supervision of Mr Jacob Ojekunle, Mrs Saidat Oloko, Mrs MO Lasisi and other top officials, in the presence of the Customs Area Controller, other officers and members of the press to witness the loading and exiting of the 1800 bags of parboiled rice allocated to their State as palliative to the
vulnerable.

“Incidentally, in the process of loading, few bags fell at different times and burst open in the presence of
Mr Ojekunle and Mrs Lasisi and there was no time that any of the burst bags of rice had weevils in them.

“The warehouse had no signs of weevils, neither were there signs of weevils on the loaders or on the trucks under the scorching sun. The three (3) states; Oyo, Osun and Ekiti States took delivery of the bags of rice allocated to them,
returned their landing certificates to show delivery to its final destinations. They also showed appreciation to the CGC for his magnanimity. Contrary to allegations by Oyo State Government, Osun and Ekiti States have not complained about their allocations.

“The Command is therefore surprised, even embarrassed to hear three (3) days later, that the rice allocated to them were infested with weevils and unfit for human consumption.

“The command wishes to reiterate that weevils do not hide and in the process of loading the vehicles, traces of weevils would have been noticed on the floor, on the bags, on the loaders or on the trucks bearing in mind that the entire process was in the presence of the CAC, Oyo State Government’s high
ranking team and men of the press with full video camera coverage.

The Command is also aware that for whatever reason, some pictures of bad rice have been circulating
the social media. We disassociate ourselves from such false images and we suspect foul play on the part
of the handlers of these allocated 1,800 bags of rice. The State Government may wish to dig deeper.

“It is surprising how bags of rice that exited the Command HQ in good condition suddenly became so bad after 3 days as being circulated in the social media.

ABDULAHI assured that the matter would be discreetly investigated