The Ekiti State Government on Monday declared that the bags of rice supplied to the state by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development would not be returned.
It spoke just as Ondo State Government denied media reports joining it with Oyo State Government in claim that the rice sent to them was bad, unsafe for human consumption and will be returned.
The Ekiti State Commissioner for Information, Mr Muyiwa Olumilua in a chat with an online segment of a popular Ibadan media organisation, said the 1,800 bags and the kegs of vegetable oil delivered to the state were in good shape and consumable.
There were reports that governors in the South-West states had concluded plans to return the rice said to have expired.
The Oyo State government had announced it would be returning some bags of rice to the federal government.
Olumilua explained that the bags were already in the state’s food bank, saying it would further help in cushioning the untold hardship following the COVID-19 lockdown in the state.
”I can confirm we have received the consignment from the federal government and they are not expired rice, I must tell you. We have no reason to return the rice and we have them deposited in our food bank,” he said.
When asked when the rice will be distributed to the residents, the commissioner for Information said, ”We are working on it at the food bank because you know we are not giving to the people a bag of rice. We have to package it in units with other materials in the palliatives bag and it will soon be distributed to the people.”
