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Tag: rice

  • NAFDAC busts Rice repackaging factory in Nasarawa

    NAFDAC busts Rice repackaging factory in Nasarawa

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Thursday raided a rice-repackaging factory in New Karu, Nasarawa, for allegedly counterfeiting popular brands.

    The enforcement operation, which confiscated numerous bags of rice from eight different facilities, was led by Mr Kenneth Azikiwe, the Director in charge of the FCT Directorate of the agency.

    He explained that the operation was prompted by intelligence from members of the public and reports from the owners of the affected brands.

    “Upon receiving these intelligence tips, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, issued a directive that only safe, quality, and wholesome food products should be available to Nigerians during the yuletide and beyond.

    “She specifically instructed that those counterfeiting popular brands of rice should be arrested and their products removed from the market”.

    Azikiwe added that the NAFDAC D-G also ordered corporate enforcement actions against those rebranding other people’s products.

    “This act of counterfeiting rice is illegal. Consumers believe they are buying quality products, but the quality is often substandard.

    “Today, after surveillance activities, we discovered facilities where a woman specialises in repackaging popular brands such as Bull 25kg, Stallion Rice 10kg, Tomatoes Rice 25kg, and several others.

    “This woman uses a warehouse behind her residential house to carry out the repackaging, which is done only at night.

    “Once packaging is completed, the products are moved to a warehouse during the day for sale to unsuspecting consumers.

    “The packaging materials are kept in her residence to avoid raising suspicion among neighbours. Today, we visited the premises, confiscated the packaging materials, and seized some of the finished products.

    “We also inspected her warehouse and stores where these items were kept for sale, confiscating all the brands found there. Additionally, we visited other warehouses involved in similar activities and destroyed their products, ”Azikiwe said.

    He stressed that the agency’s primary aim is to ensure the health and safety of Nigerians.

    Azikiwe urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report cases of counterfeiting, noting that such activities often take place within communities.

    “If you see anyone engaging in such acts, please report to NAFDAC. Counterfeit products are usually of poor quality and are often produced in unhygienic environments, which makes it impossible to create wholesome or quality goods”.

    He also advised the public to buy goods from accredited and trusted food shops, particularly during the festive season.

    “People must learn to purchase from reputable dealers or supermarkets that maintain a reliable supply chain for quality products,” he said.

    Azikiwe further urged Nigerians to always check for NAFDAC registration numbers, as well as the manufacturing and expiry dates, on all products they purchase.

    He revealed that the value of the confiscated counterfeit rice from the operation was approximately N5 million.

  • FG commences sales of 50kg rice to journalists at N40k

    FG commences sales of 50kg rice to journalists at N40k

    The Federal Government has commenced the sales of milled rice to staff of various media organisations in Kaduna State at a subsidised rate of N40,000 per 50kg bag.

    The exercise, according to the federal government is meant to ameliorate the prevailing food crisis and cushion the effects of high cost of food commodities in the country.

    The media outlets were allocated 149 bags and every buyer was screened by officials of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for the purpose of transparency and accountability.

    Each member of the fourth estate of the realm was entitled to one 50kg bag, while, civil servants from different ministries and associations also got their own allocation at their respective offices.

    All the buyers accessed the grains from the Point of Sale (POS) with their Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and NIN.

    Speaking on behalf of media organisations in Kaduna, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council, Hajiya Asma’u Halilu, expressed gratitude to the federal government for subsidising the rice at N40,000.00 per bag.

    Halilu said: “Comparing this price to the soaring market price, one has no option than to thank the government for the supply of the rice.”

    She, however, advised the federal government to endeavour to make the exercise a continuous process, to enable those who did not enjoy the current consignment to do so on the subsequent one.

    Recall that the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, had earlier revealed in Abuja during the flagg-off of the exercise that the kind gesture was made possible at the expense and directives of President Bola Tinubu.

    “We do not want Nigerians to go to bed hungry, and in his wisdom, the president deemed it important to initiate the food intervention,” he said.

    The minister noted that the present challenges were not peculiar to Nigeria, adding that the food intervention was timely considering the hard times and challenges the nation and its citizens were having.

    He therefore urged the citizens to cooperate with the relevant agencies of the government to work together to ensure that the dream of the present administration to uphold the fundamental right to food for all Nigerians “is achieved.”

    The minister stated that: “It is expected that with the injection 30,000MT (1000 trucks of 30MT each) of this important staple into Nigeria food balance sheet, it would not only crash the price of rice but also other closer commodities”.

  • Sokoto govt begins sales of rice at 55% discount

    Sokoto govt begins sales of rice at 55% discount

    Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State on Wednesday, inaugurated the sales of subsidised rice and other essential commodities at 55 per cent discount rates across the State.

    The inauguration, which took place in Kware Local Government Area, signalled commencement of the programme across the 244 wards of the state.

    Aliyu explained that the initiative aims to alleviate the economic hardship faced by citizens, assuring that the programme would be sustained to pave way for food security in Sokoto.

    “We have made the process transparent and non-political with a view to ensuring the success of this initiative in supporting the entire population of the state.

    “Our goal is to ensure that all residents of Sokoto, regardless of political affiliation or religious background, benefit from this programme,” he assured.

    The governor revealed that the state government has spent N14.4 billion to procure 280 trucks of rice for onward sell to the public.

    “Each ward will receive 600 bags of 50 kg rice, which will be sold at a 55 per cent discount rate.

    “We have reduced the price of a 50 kg bag to N38,700, a 25 kg bag to N19,350, and a 10 kg bag to N7,740,” he said.

    Aliyu added that his government did not intend to collect the proceeds from the sales, instead, it would open a special account where the funds would be used to buy more foodstuff for sustainability of the programme.

    “I have also directed the sales committee to provide smaller measurements for those who cannot afford the 10 kg bags,” he added.

    The governor urged religious scholars in the state to use their pulpit to continuesly encourage wealthy individuals to support the less privileged in their respective communities.

    He further assured that adequate measures had been put in place to ensure that the commodities reach the intended beneficiaries.

    Earlier, the Chairman of the sales committee, Alhaji Chiso Dattijo, assured the governor that due process would be strictly followed during the sales process.

    He also announced that: “rice is now available at all designated locations across the 244 wards of the state.”

  • FG begins sale of subsidised rice in Ogun

    FG begins sale of subsidised rice in Ogun

    The Federal Government on Thursday in Abeokuta began the sale of rice at a subsidised rate in Ogun.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, while speaking during a ceremony to signify the commencement, said it was “one of the numerous programmes initiated to bring succour and relief to Nigerians”.

    Kyari, who was represented by Mrs Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, the ministry’s State Director, explained that the  distribution was being monitored by several Federal Government agencies to ensure transparency, fairness and adequate security.

    The Minister stated that government had put measures in place to ensure that  the rice got to the intended beneficiaries.

    He said all that was needed was an individual’s National Identification Number (NIN) and Automated Teller Machine  (ATM) card to buy a 50kg rice at N40,000.

    “However, I want to specifically applaud Gov. Dapo Abiodun for his commitment to the welfare of the citizens of the state.

    “Ogun is one of the first set of states in Nigeria to enjoy the benefit and this can be attributed to the governor’s tenacity and visionary leadership.

    “Ogun has one of the most organised templates ensuring that this gets to the three Senatorial districts of the state and to all at the grassroots,” he said.

    Kyari urged citizens of the state to support government to make sure that all the efforts by different levels of government were appreciated.

    In his address, Gov. Abiodun noted that President Bola Tinubu’s initiative testified to his commitment to ensuring he tackled the issue of food inflation and also improve the people’s livelihood.

    He expressed his appreciation of the President for his unwavering dedication to supporting the agricultural sector and ensuring food security for citizens.

    “This is especially in the light of the present economic realities facing the nation.

    “Government has shown responsiveness, thoughtfulness.

    “This is appreciated and welcomed, particularly following the removal of petroleum subsidy, as this will go a long way in cushioning the impact of the subsidy removal,” the governor said.

  • Workers kick as FG suspends sale of subsidised rice

    Workers kick as FG suspends sale of subsidised rice

    A cross section of civil servants in Abuja have expressed concerns over the suspension of the sale of Federal Government’s subsidised rice at N40, 000 per bag of 50 kilograms.

    They made their feelings known after discovering the sudden disappearance of officials at different registration units for the purchase of the rice.

    Recall that the Federal Government promised to sell 30, 000 metric tonnes of 50 kilograms bags of milled rice to Nigerians at subsidised rate of N40, 000.

    While inaugurating the scheme, Mr Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security explained that the move by the government was part of its intervention and efforts to crash the prices of food items in Nigerian markets.

    The sale commenced and lasted for over a week, before it was put on hold without notice, an action, workers that were yet to benefit from, decried.

    Speaking with NAN, Mrs Mary Nwachukwu, said she was surprised and disturbed when she got to the point of payment at the federal secretariat and found out the officials were not on duty.

    `I was encouraged to come to the registration unit at the secretariat, only for me to be told that the whole thing has been suspended.

    “Nobody knows what may happen next and if the scheme will still continue,’’ she asked.

    Mrs Kudirat Muktah, another civil servant who said she experienced delay in accessing the rice at the initial stage, frowned at the suspension order

    “I was here for two days to get my name registered, but because of the huge crowd, I decided to wait until it eases off, only to be told now that the exercise has been suspended.

    “What I heard from the grapevine was that the suspension was as a result of the rowdiness and chaos at the registration and payment point.

    “If they can adopt a better method of access to the rice, it will be better for us,’’ she said.

    Mr Sylvester Edwards, equally expressed disappointment at the news of the suspension of the sale of the rice, even after he had struggled for two days to get his name written down.

    “My brother, I spent two days here before I could register my name, waiting to be called for the rice, but now I am hearing another story.

    “Although, we heard that the rice will be accessed through another method, but we cannot trust this government.

    “The palliative rice will, to some extent ease the burden of hunger, so, it is important for the government to bring it back,’’ he said.

    Meanwhile, finding by NAN confirmed that there was a new arrangement on ground for the purchase of the rice, to end the cumbersome process.

    An authoritative source in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, who pleaded anonymity, said it was not the office that coordinated the scheme as speculated.

    The source said that the palliative rice was being handled by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) after it was inaugurated by the minister.

    On the suspension of the sale, the source said that the registration of beneficiaries was ordered to be stopped due to the rowdiness, noise and chaos within the HOS premises.

    “People could no longer attend to work in their offices as a result of this exercise. Therefore, we have to suspend it.

    “We also read the report by your agency about people groaning and facing difficulty in accessing the government’s 50Kg bag of rice at N40,000.

    The plan on ground is to decentralise the purchase by involving ministries and the agencies under them. The core civil servant will register in their ministries while those in the agencies will register with their parent ministries,’’ the source said.

    The source, advised officials at MDAs to liaise with their mother ministries to get details of the new payment and distribution method of the palliative rice.

  • CARTOON OF THE DAY: Who is qualified for govt’s 50kg bag of rice?

    CARTOON OF THE DAY: Who is qualified for govt’s 50kg bag of rice?

    CARTOON OF THE DAY: Who is qualified for govt’s 50kg bag of rice?

  • EPL: Arteta ‘amazed’ at Rice dismissal in Brighton draw

    EPL: Arteta ‘amazed’ at Rice dismissal in Brighton draw

    Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he was “amazed” to see Declan Rice sent off in his side’s 1-1 draw against Brighton after “inconsistency” from referee Chris Kavanagh.

    Having already been booked for an earlier foul on Brighton’s Joel Veltman, England midfielder Rice received a second yellow card four minutes into the second half for kicking the ball away as the Dutch defender tried to take a free-kick.

    Nine minutes later Joao Pedro equalised a Kai Havertz opener to continue Brighton’s unbeaten start to the season and end Arsenal’s 100% record.

    “I was amazed,” said Arteta. “Amazed, amazed, amazed because of how inconsistent decisions can be. In the first half, there are two incidents and nothing happens.

    “Then, in a non-critical area, the ball hits Declan [on the back of his leg], he turns around, he doesn’t see the player coming and he touches the ball.

    “By law, he can make that call, but then by law he needs to make the next call, which is a red card so we play 10vs10. This is what amazed me. At this level it’s amazing.”

    The match swung in Brighton’s favour after Arsenal went down to 10 men and the Seagulls had 19 shots to three and an expected goal statistic of 1.9.

    Arteta believed his side “deserved to win the game” and that Brighton forward Pedro should have been booked for a kicking the ball away once the whistle went in the first half.

    But visiting boss Fabian Hurzeler said you cannot compare the incidents and Rice deserved to be sent off.

    “For me, clear red card,” he added. “He shoots the ball away, it’s wasting time.

    “You can’t compare the two situations. The first with Joao it is clear it is a free-kick and a static situation. The other one is much more like a dynamic situation.

    “Please never compare these situations, because in football two situations never are the same so we can’t compare these situations.”

    BBC

  • Subsidized Rice: FG withdraws plan to sell 50KG to Civil Servant

    Subsidized Rice: FG withdraws plan to sell 50KG to Civil Servant

    The Federal Government has suspended the plan to sell subsidized 50kg bags of rice to civil servants for N40,000. According to Leadership, this decision was communicated in a circular titled, “Withdrawal of Internal Circular on Sale of Subsidized Rice to Public Servants,” signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs (Human Resources Management Department).

     

    The circular, addressed to Directors and Heads of Departments, states: “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.

     

    “Further details will be communicated in due course. Please bring the contents of this internal circular to the attention of staff in your respective Departments and Units for their information and proper guidance.”

     

    The previous memo from the Ministry, dated August 1 and signed by Mrs. Jaiyesim Abimbola Aderonke, Director of Human Resource Management, had outlined the procedure for civil servants to purchase the rice. However, no reason was provided for the withdrawal of the plan, leaving many civil servants who had registered for the subsidized rice in a state of uncertainty.

     

    It would be recalled that the initial plan, announced by the Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed, was intended to mitigate the effects of the current food crisis by offering 50kg bags of rice at a subsidized rate to civil servants in Abuja.

  • Edo govt confirms receiving trucks of rice from FG

    Edo govt confirms receiving trucks of rice from FG

    The Commissioner for Information and Orientation in Edo, Mr Chris Nehikhare, has confirmed that the State received trucks of rice from the Federal Government after its initial denial.

    Nehikhare had in a national television denied that the State Government received trucks of rice from the Federal Government.

    “We only received grains and garri from the Federal Government, not rice,” he had said on a live television programme.

    However, the Peoples Democratic Party-led government’s denial prompted the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to accuse it of being economical with the truth.

    APC claimed that the bags of rice looted in Benin during the recent nationwide protest were part of the palliative by the Federal Government, which were hoarded by the State Government.

    In the midst of the controversy, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr Abubakar Momoh, clarified that every state, including Edo, each received 20 trucks of rice.

    But at a news conference on Wednesday in Benin, Nehikhare capitulated and confirmed that the State Government did receive trucks of rice from the Federal Government.

    He said that the Federal Government delivered the rice to the state with instructions that it should be shared amongst the Internally Displaced Camps (IDPs), orphanage homes and Local Government Areas.

    He said: “On the issue of the Federal Government giving us rice, I will tell you, few months ago, maybe early this year or late last year or mid this year, they brought some trucks of rice.

    “They (the rice) were distributed according to the formula that they be sent to IDP camps, different people, and orphanage homes. You people should do the investigation.

    “Edo State Government did not touch any of the trucks. They moved straight to the Local Governments and where they were designated to be given out.

    “Edo State Government does not keep rice. We have spent N2.2 billion to feed our people.

    “What can 20 trucks of rice do where we are close to seven million people in the state. How does that help?”

    According to the commissioner, the state government provided free bus services since September as part of its measures to fight poverty.

    “I will state categorically that Edo State Government does not buy rice. It did not buy rice.

    “What it did is to provide N2.2 billion to the Christian Association of Nigeria to purchase food items: garri, yam, plantain and rice to give to the vulnerable people and that is a deliberate government policy,” he said.

  • Van der Vaart brands Declan Rice ‘useless’

    Van der Vaart brands Declan Rice ‘useless’

    Former Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has branded Declan Rice as “useless” after England’s defeat in the Euros final.

    The Arsenal midfielder struggled to make an impact in the 2-1 defeat to Spain.

    Van der Vaart told NOS afterwards: “100m for Declan Rice… what does he do?

    “He comes to collect a ball only to pass it back to John Stones. He is useless.

    “If you are truly worth 100m, then you should be able to play a ball forward.”

    Sunday was Rice’s 58th appearance for England