Some residents of Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina States report that they are yet to receive the rice recently donated to the states by the Federal Government.
The Federal Government had distributed 20 trucks of rice to the 36 states and the FCT as part of its efforts to ramp up food supplies and bolster food security across the country.
This initiative was also part of the Federal Government’s strategy, in collaboration with sub-national entities, to alleviate the current hardships faced by Nigerians, exacerbated by persistent food insecurity and rising food prices.
Despite recent bumper harvests in parts of Nigeria bringing some relief, there are fears that this improvement may be temporary.
Some residents of Kaduna metropolis lamented that they have not received the Federal Government’s rice allocated to the state governments to mitigate hunger.
Speaking, residents claimed they had only heard about the rice distribution through the news.
Salisu Musa, a resident of the Rigasa area, stated that neither he nor his family benefited from the rice.
He added that he has not heard of anyone close to him receiving the rice.
As a traditional title holder in Rigasa community, Musa emphasized, “We have not seen any rice from the Federal Government. However, we have received fertilizer, and we appreciate it.”
Similarly, Ibrahim Yusuf, a resident of Doka area, noted that while he had not received the rice, he heard that a few bags were taken to a mosque in the area.
He also acknowledged that fertilizers had been distributed in his area, benefiting many people.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Kaduna State Council received some bags of rice from the Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) on August 15. The group announced that it had received 2,400 bags provided by the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu.
Muhammad Ibrahim, one of the journalists who benefited, said the rice was shared with faith-based organizations and journalists, among others, adding that he received a 25kg bag of rice.
In other parts of Kaduna State, some residents of Chikun Local Government Area complained of not receiving the relief items intended to cushion the effects of the food crisis.
Those who confirmed receiving some food items from state officials said the quantity was too insignificant. They also accused some community leaders of bias and lack of transparency in distributing the palliatives.
A cross-section of residents in the city reported that they had yet to receive any items from state officials.
One resident, Mrs. Asabe Markus, claimed she had not received any palliative so far, opining that the items were distributed only to those with political affiliations to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
She said, “Since the food crisis began, I have been struggling to survive by relying on the support of friends and loved ones who have food items and cash in abundance.”
Mrs. Rakiya Hadi, another resident, said she only received two measures of rice, distributed by a community leader. She questioned, “How can that feed a family for just a week?”
Hadi explained that the leader had to distribute the food secretly to avoid commotion, as the grain was insufficient for all the people.
Another resident, Mr. Audu Mallam, said that no one on his street near KASUPDA road in Sabon Tasha had benefited from the government’s palliatives.
He recalled that during the COVID-19 period, information was provided for people to collect palliatives at government schools, but this time, there has been no communication.
Mrs. Grace Waziri, another state resident, described the exercise as a ‘charade,’ adding that the government was not being sincere with the palliatives.
She disclosed that she had not received any relief items from the government, noting that a few of her friends who are civil servants had collected such items from their offices.
“Two of my friends who are civil servants showed me what the state government distributed as palliatives. It was very ridiculous and insulting. So, it’s clear that they are only sharing the palliatives with people who do not really need it and keep on lying that they have distributed food to vulnerable residents,” she said.
In Kafanchan, residents similarly reported not receiving any rice palliatives from the Federal Government.
Speaking in Kafanchan, the headquarters of Jema’a Local Government Area, Marta Maigari, a retired civil servant, stated that although she had read in the media about the Federal Government’s donation of 20 trucks of rice to each state, nothing had reached the people of Kafanchan.
“We have not seen any rice from the Federal Government here in Kafanchan. I say so because I always keep myself abreast of happenings, so I would have known if the government had gotten here,” she said.
Godwin Kumai, Coordinator of the Jema’a Community Development Charter, a civil society organization, confirmed that no rice palliatives from the Federal Government had been received or shared at the local government level.
He mentioned that only bags of fertilizer from the state government were currently being distributed to some vulnerable people in the area.
A top official of the local government, speaking on condition of anonymity, concurred, stating that the local government had not received any rice allocation from the Federal Government.
“I don’t know if the state government has taken delivery of the items donated by the Federal Government. But as for us here in Jema’a Local Government Area, we are yet to receive anything from the centre through the state,” he added.
In Zaria, there were mixed reactions from different sources in the council over the distribution of the palliatives.
The Technical Assistant to the Council Chairman on Strategic Communications, Bello Habib, stated that the council had received 600 bags of maize and millet as an intervention from the state government.
He explained that these bags were distributed to the 547 polling units across the 13 wards of the council, with the remaining bags shared among boarding secondary schools in Zaria. However, Habib declined to comment on the rice palliatives.
Mohammed Abdullahi, a resident of Unguwar Fatika Area in Zaria, said he was unaware of any rice distribution by the government.
Similarly, Haruna-Rasheed Musa of Kakaki Area in Zaria reported that he had not received any intervention from either the state or local government.
The Chairman of Zaria Local Government Council, Aliyu Idris-Ibrahim, did not respond to calls and messages regarding how the council distributed the Federal Government’s rice palliatives.
Aminu Bello, a resident of Layin Zomo Area in Basawa Ward, Sabon Gari Local Government Area, stated that he did not receive any support, be it rice, maize, or fertilizer from the government.
A source at Sabon Gari Local Government, who requested anonymity, claimed that a trailer load of rice was seen at the Secretariat but was taken to an unknown destination.
Mohammed Usman, Chairman of Sabon Gari Local Government Council, also did not respond to calls and messages seeking comments.
Sources in Giwa and Makarfi LGAs said that the councils had not received rice from the government as of the time of this report.
Efforts to get comments from Kaduna State Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Rabi Salisu, were unsuccessful, as she was said to have traveled out of Nigeria.
In Katsina State, a Coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) pledged to ensure that the rice distributed by the Federal Government is shared with the intended beneficiaries.
The Chairman of the coalition, Abdulrahman Abdullahi, disclosed this in an interview in Katsina. The state government had constituted a committee to oversee the distribution of the rice on July 29 and given it a three-week deadline to submit its report.
The committee’s responsibilities include verifying the number of bags received, developing a procedure for sharing the rice across the 34 local government areas, and ensuring that the distribution is fair and transparent, targeting vulnerable individuals such as widows, divorcees, elderly men and women, among others.
Abdullahi, who is also the Chairman of the Katsina Social Protection Network (SP), revealed that the coalition is closely monitoring the committee, which is currently compiling the names of beneficiaries.
He stated that both state and LGA-level committees had been formed, with CSO representation in all committees across the 34 local governments.
“The SP network will leverage the LGA structures of the coalition of the CSOs in the state to monitor the distribution and report their findings. These findings will be reviewed, and we will present our position at the end of the exercise,” Abdullahi said.
The main committee at the state level is headed by the Secretary to the Government of the State, Abdullahi Garba-Faskari. Members include the Special Adviser on Public Service Administration Reform, Commissioners for Special Duties and Information, a representative of the State House of Assembly, the Managing Director of the State Irrigation Authority, the Executive Chairman of the Zakat and Waqf Board, the Commander of the Hisbah Board, and the ALGON Chairman.
Other members include representatives of the Police, DSS, Katsina and Daura Emirate Councils, the JIBWIS and Darika Islamic sects, the Youth Council of Nigeria, the Nigeria Youth Congress, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
In Kano, the state government announced that it had distributed the 130 trucks of foodstuffs it received from the Federal Government to beneficiaries across the 44 local government areas.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Danjuma Mahmud, disclosed this in Kano on Wednesday. The donation included 40 trucks of 25kg rice, 70 trucks of maize, millet, and sorghum. Mahmud stated that the food items were delivered
