The Gombe State Government has expressed concerns regarding the delayed delivery of subsidized rice claimed by the Federal Government to help alleviate hunger and mitigate the rising cost of living across Nigeria.
Last month, Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, announced that the Federal Government donated about 20 trucks of rice to each of Nigeria’s 36 states and Abuja as part of measures to cushion the country’s food crisis.
“Each of the trucks of course is carrying about 1,200 25kg bags of rice,” Idris said. “This is part of the measures that the government is taking in addition to so many others to ensure that the hardship being experienced by Nigerians is drastically ameliorated.”
However, according to Ismaila Uba Misilli, the spokesperson for the Gombe State Government, no such delivery has been made to Gombe barely four weeks later; but they only have allocations on paper.
Misilli further revealed that this issue is not unique to Gombe, as other northeastern states, including Adamawa, Yobe, and Taraba, have also reportedly not received their allocated supplies.
Aminiya quoted the governor’s aide urging the Minister of Information to clarify the status of the rice distribution, emphasizing that providing accurate information to the public will prevent misunderstandings and potential criticism.
Misilli also requested that the minister verify the current location of the rice and address any logistical issues that may be causing the delay, hoping that the subsidized rice will soon be delivered to the state, as it is crucial for supporting the state’s vulnerable populations during this challenging economic period.
Meanwhile, WikkiTimes reports that the Gombe State government has commenced distributing essential food items to vulnerable individuals across the state’s 11 local government areas.
