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FG Cancels Plan to Sell Subsidized Rice to Civil Servants
The federal government has recently canceled its plan to sell 50kg bags of rice to civil servants at a subsidized price of N40,000 each.
This decision was communicated through an official notice issued by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, specifically from the Human Resources Management Department.
The notice, titled ‘Withdrawal of Internal Circular on Sale of Subsidized Rice to Public Servants,’ was sent to various Directors and Heads of Departments.
It states: “I am directed to refer to our internal circular from the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs dated August 1, 2024, regarding the sale of subsidized rice. Please be advised that the aforementioned circular is now officially withdrawn.
Additional information will be provided in the near future. Kindly ensure that this information is communicated to staff within your respective Departments and Units for their awareness and appropriate action.”
The withdrawal comes without a specified reason, although previous announcements had indicated that numerous civil servants had already registered for the subsidized rice.
The initial plan was introduced by the Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed, who had stated that this initiative was part of the government’s efforts to alleviate the impacts of the ongoing food crisis by providing affordable rice to civil servants in Abuja.
TV anchor Rufai Oseni makes headlines as he speaks on fuel subsidy in Nigeria. He shared that Nigeria can have fuel subsidy without the long queues at filling stations.
“When we were still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidising. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.
“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiaries of the subsidy,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Sanwo-Olu, speaks to those in the electricity sector about the usual blackouts in the state.
He speaks on ways things can change in the state and how electricity can be provided.
“We need to drop corporate egos, abandon long-standing excuses, and confront the harsh realities obstructing progress in the power sector.”
“We, state governments, used to give excuses that everything is centralised, so the Federal Government has unbundled it now. What have we done in a year and a half?” Sanwo-Olu asked.
“We take two steps forward, we go five steps backward,” he said.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Thursday, August 20, a work-free day for public servants in the state to mark the Isese Festival.
Speaking on the celebration, he said “Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He added “When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.
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