By Omenihu Alfred fibmn
In a bid to align with federal government’s plans to tackle the pressing issue of food, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Bashir Adewale Adeniyi has commenced the sales of 25kg Rice at N10,000 only to vulnerable Nigerians with valid National Identification Number.
According to the CGC the sales initiative is to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians by ensuring the availability of essential food items. The process started on the 23rd of February 2024 at the NCS Zonal office at Harvey road, Yaba in Lagos. He stressed that the distribution of the rice will be at the target areas of customs operations, so as ensure direct access to beneficiaries most especially the poor masses.
The 25kg of rice goes as low as N10, 000 as against the prevailing price of N40,000 or more in the market. Among the people that benefited from the process were the Physically challenged persons.
Nigerians have commended the Federal Government and the Nigerian Customs for the initiative. Some of the beneficiaries expressed their appreciation in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
The exercise commenced at about 8.00 a.m. with support of the security agencies including Nigerian Police, DSS, Nigerian Army, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) among others. Some of the beneficiaries of the first day of the distribution exercise were, artisans, teachers, religious bodies, less privileges person, Sweepers from various areas in Lagos.
Some of the beneficiary noted that this kind of guesture have never happened in the history of Nigeria where majority of Nigerians will benefit from relief items genuinely without preference, noting that the gesture would go a long way to ease the hardship in the country
Another observed that, If the government at all levels engage in more of this gesture, prices of goods especially food in the market will reduce drastically.
.As expected, the crowd outside the gate of the customs premises can only be described as multitude. Some elderly people were injured and customs treated them using First Aid. Customs did their best in the cordination of the crowd as many Nigerians around the area commended their generosity and orderliness.
Furthermore, the CG while addressing the pressure groups, religious leaders and other beneficiaries pleaded with them not to divert the foodstuffs to the market, emphasizing that the federal government had mandated them to give to the less privileged people in the country. He gave the assurance that many Nigerians will benefit from this guesture as it will be cordinated in all customs commands in the country.
