Customs yet to release 110 trucks of rice to us, says minister

From Faith Yahaya, Abuja

One hundred and ten trucks of seized rice have not been handed over to Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Farouq said on Tuesday.

According to the minister, only 40 trucks of the seized rice have been given to her ministry for distribution as palliatives to cushion the effects of lockdown on Nigerians.

President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the NCS to give 150 trucks of rice it seized from smugglers to the 36 states.

Finance, Budget and National Planning Minister Mrs. Zainab Ahmed said the seized rice has been handed over to the ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development for distribution to Nigerians.

But Farouq said her ministry had only taken delivery of 40 trucks. She spoke in Abuja yesterday at the daily briefing by the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.

Read Also: COVID-19: Customs boss approves release of rice, other items worth N3.2bn

On the 150 trucks from Customs, she said: “This is what was pledged by Customs but so far, we have only 40 trucks available. We have been able to collect 20 trucks of rice from Lagos depot and we have given Lagos state their share and we have taken to Ogun while the one for FCT is on the way.

“We have also given to Imo and Ebonyi state. We gave two trucks of rice to Ebonyi and three trucks to Imo.

“Why we have a disparity in number is because we are supposed to get 19 trucks from the Onne depot but unfortunately, we were only able to get five but we are still in talks with Nigeria Customs to see how we can get the balance.”

The minister also said that Lagos and Ogun states have just commenced the registration and capturing of beneficiaries that will be under the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme.

“Last week, when I visited Ogun, they were in the process of doing the registration for the conditional cash transfer because Ogun was not in the programme and also Lagos.

“We have started the process of the registration of the capturing of the beneficiaries for the conditional cash transfer but for the other palliatives, we have taken to Ogun state and Lagos state.”

On the continuation of the school feeding programme despite the closure of schools, the minister said the ministry has put modalities in place to ensure that malnourished children are fed despite the lockdown.