The Oyo State Government has returned a total of 1,800 bags of ‘pest-infested’ rice to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Executive Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Agribusiness, Debo Akande, made this disclosure in Ibadan after the state committee on distribution of relief materials and palliatives inspected the warehouse were the grains were kept.
According to Akande, the committee found out that the rice was unhealthy for human consumption.
He said, “The state government discovered that the grains of rice were infested by weevil and other pests, and took the decision in the interest of residents of the state.
“We initially assumed that it was just some part of it that was infested but some commissioners from five or six ministries came with me to inspect and we realised that it is not just some but quite a lot of them were infested.”
Akande, however, said the return of the 1,800 bags would not affect the state’s distribution of palliatives, noting that the state has purchased enough rice for distribution to the citizens.
He said, “And it was in the process of further inspection, that we discovered that almost all the grains of rice has been infested by weevil and other pests.
“On that basis, we formed a committee to inspect it again so that we are really sure of what we have received and we think this rice is not consumable for human being.
“As such, such material cannot be distributed as part of palliatives in the state. We don’t want to start providing solution to a problem and then create another problem. We have done random selection we see that similar thing applies across board and the committee has agreed to return to its source. And if there is any replacement of good quality that will be sent to us, we will be glad to receive it.”
