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FG Commences Sale Of 50KG Rice To Nigerians At ₦40,000
The federal government has flagged off the sale of 30,000 metric tonnes of milled rice to public servants with duly registered National Identification Number (NIN) to curb racketeering. The move is parts of efforts to crash the prices of food in Nigerian markets.
President Bola Tinubu, who was represented at the flag off by Abubakar Kyari, the minister of agriculture and food security, said the intervention will be sold strictly “one man to one bag or one woman to one bag”.
He said the rice — which is to be sold at a flat rate of N40,000 naira only for 50kg — is the federal government intervention for the sales of subsidised milled rice to ameliorate the prevailing food crises in Nigeria.
“This food intervention can be said to be timely considering the times and challenges we are in as citizens of this great nation,” he said.
“As one of the numerous efforts of the present administration to cushion the effect of high cost of food commodities, kindly join me to applaud the immense efforts of the present administration such as the release of 42,000MT of Assorted Food Commodities (AFC) to vulnerable and the 30,000MT of milled rice which is being flagged-off for sales to Nigerians today 5th September, 2024.”
The minister blamed COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine war, climate change amidst other localized factors/challenges for the high cost of food prices.
“This has led to increase concern and risk of food insecurity and general decline in the standard of living globally. I therefore urge us to understand that the present challenges are not peculiar to our great country,” he said.
He added that the federal government being aware of the potential challenges associated with the sales of an important staple such as rice, at this critical period has deployed a multi-disciplinary machinery of Government, as well put in place certain processes and conditions to ensure the transparency, wider reach and success of this exercise.
“This includes one man one 50kg of rice, others are the verification of intending beneficiaries using relevant identification mediums such as the National Identification Number (NIN) and phone numbers to forestall multiple access to this food commodity by fraudulent individuals at the detriment of other citizens,” he said.
He implored citizens to cooperate with the relevant citizens to achieve the initiative.
“Let us work together to ensure that the dream of the present administration to upheld the fundamental right to food for all Nigerians is achieved. It is expected that with the injection 30,000MT (1000 trucks of 30MT each of this important staple into Nigeria food balance sheet, it will not only crash the price of rice but also other closer food substitutes and alternatives.”
He called on Nigerians to remain steadfast and be patient with Mr. President as his numerous efforts to enhance Food security will soon begin to pay off.
The director, food and strategic reserve of the ministry, Haruna Sule Abutu outlined the procedure to buy the subsidised rice.
“To qualify for the one person one bag, you must have National Identification Number, of course you have phone numbers and those in public service are all registered under the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) platform,” he said.
“Once you have any of these three, at the point of sale, with the NIN logged into the system, a code number and a Treasury receipt will be generated, and with that the buyer can get to the collection center and pick up his bag. The receipt will indicate, time and point of collection to eliminate stampede.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that their naval forces stopped two ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz and directed them to the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic.
“The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps naval force this morning identified and stopped in the Strait of Hormuz two violating ships,” the Guards said in a statement.
“The two offending ships… were seized by the IRGC’s naval forces and directed to the Iranian coast.”
They identified one ship as “MSC-FRANCESCA”, which they said belonged “to the Zionist regime” in reference to Israel, and the other as “EPAMINONDAS”, which they said was “tampering with navigation systems and jeopardising maritime security.”
The Guards further warned against any action against the regulations imposed by the Islamic republic in the strait “as well as activities contrary to the safe passage” through the waterway.
Tehran has said vessels must seek permission to leave of enter the Gulf through Hormuz, through a route that in peacetime accounts for a fifth of the world’s oil and gas exports along with other vital commodities.
Source: AFP
Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has advised the Nigerian government to rethink its stance on refusing to negotiate with terrorists, saying dialogue may be key to ending the country’s long-running violence.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Kaduna-based cleric argued that Nigeria is being influenced by a “Western slogan” that does not always reflect reality.
He stressed that talks, rather than force alone, could help break the cycle of attacks affecting many parts of the country.
Gumi also warned that weak border control is worsening insecurity, allowing weapons and criminal elements to move freely.
According to him, this has made it more difficult to defeat terrorism and protect citizens.
He pointed to ongoing tensions involving the United States and Iran, saying even powerful nations engage in negotiations despite public positions against it. He urged Nigeria to draw lessons from such situations.
He said: “We should not be misled by the Western slogan, ‘We don’t negotiate with terrorists.’”
Gumi added that violence often leads to more suffering for civilians, as both terrorist attacks and military operations tend to harm innocent people.
He further explained: “As long as Nigeria’s borders remain porous, the cycle of violence will persist.”
The cleric emphasised that understanding the root causes of terrorism is crucial to finding lasting solutions, warning that force alone cannot resolve the crisis.
In his words: “The lesson is clear: lasting solutions require realism, dialogue, and strategic understanding, not just force.”
Gumi suggested that Nigeria may need a neutral mediator to help open dialogue and reduce tensions, similar to efforts seen in other conflict zones.
Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, has nominated and forwarded Murtala Garo to the State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation as the new deputy governor of the State.
This is contained in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mustapha Muhammad, late Tuesday night.
According to the statement: “The nomination is in line with Section 191(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers the Governor to nominate a Deputy Governor where a vacancy exists.”
Recall that the position of the deputy governor became vacant after the resignation of Abdussalam Gwarzo on March 27, 2026.
“Following wide consultations with key stakeholders, the Governor has requested the Assembly to grant the necessary approval for Garo’s nomination,” the statement added.
Iran Seizes Two Ships attempting to cross Strait of Hormuz
Gumi wants Nigerian government to consider dialogue in tackling terrorism
Kano Gov nominates Garo as deputy
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