The Federal Government has declared that it will no longer be offering federal personnel N40,000 for 50-kg bags of rice that were subsidized.
The Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs' Permanent Secretary signed a circular headed "Withdrawal of Internal Circular on Sale of Subsidized Rice to Public Servants" to inform everyone of the decision (Human Resources Management Department).
"I am directed to refer to our internal circular in the Ministry (Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs) of 1st August, 2024 on the above subject matter and to inform you that the Internal Circular is hereby withdrawn," the circular, which was addressed to directors and heads of departments, read. More information will be announced when appropriate. For their information and appropriate guidance, kindly draw attention to the contents of this internal circular among the employees in your respective departments and units.
Many civil officials who had registered for the subsidized rice were left in a state of anxiety as no explanation was given for the sudden cancellation of the offer. The first proposal was made public by Minister of Information Idris Mohammed, who said that the federal government planned to provide Abuja's civil servants with 50 kilogram sacks of rice at a discounted price in an effort to lessen the impact of the present food crisis.
According to LEADERSHIP, a prior memo from the Ministry, issued by Director of Human Resource Management Mrs. Jaiyesim Abimbola Aderonke and dated August 1, described the process for buying rice for civil servants.
The memo stipulated that each employee was only allowed one bag and asked interested parties to fill out an online Google form at OHCSF.com and send it to the HR Director for approval. It further stated that selected personnel will coordinate payment and distribution, with the Ministry's Joint Union Council Chairman supervising the procedure in a transparent manner.
In an effort to mitigate the nation's present food crisis and its impact on the populace, the federal government has directed me to notify you that interested public employees would be able to purchase 50kg bags of rice at a discounted price of 40,000 Naira (thousands of Naira) each bag employees in Abuja," the message read. In order to ensure a smooth implementation, all interested staff members must fill out a Google form found on the OHCSF website. For the sake of openness, the chairman of the Joint Union Council of the Ministry must act as an observer during the exercise while others must be printed and submitted to the Director of HR for approval. Payment and distribution of the rice will be arranged by appointed officials.
The effort was meant to begin with civil servants before being made available to the general public, as previously promised by Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security. This strategy was a component of a larger government initiative to address the rising rate of food inflation, which as of June 2024 was 40.87% annually, according to to the Bureau of Statistics of Nigeria (NBS). In order to address the food issue, the government has also taken other actions, such as releasing wheat from reserves and giving farmers fertilizer.
Notwithstanding these initiatives, the cost of food is still rising nationwide due to rises in the price of semovita, garri, bread, millet flour, and packaged wheat flour. In an effort to stabilize food prices and help its inhabitants, the federal government has withdrawn the rice subsidy proposal, which complicates matters further.
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