A video has surfaced online allegedly showing bags of rice, clearly marked “not for sale,” being repackaged for commercial sale in Kogi State, Nigeria.
The video has sparked outrage among residents, who revealed that instead of distributing the rice for free as directed by the federal government, some individuals are allegedly repackaging and selling it in the open market.
One outraged resident in the video said, “The rice shared by the federal government is being repackaged for sale. As you can see, ‘not for sale’ is written on the bags, but we caught these people trying to repackage it. They said they got the rice from the Agriculture Ministry in the country.”
The residents voiced their frustration over the fraudulent practices surrounding the rice distribution.
They lamented the rising cost of living and expressed their disappointment. Another person in the video added, “It’s unfortunate. I bought a tin of beans for N380 yesterday, and now look at what they are doing to this rice.”
Recently, the Nigerian government distributed bags of rice as a palliative measure to alleviate the surging food inflation in the country.
Each state of the federation received 20 trucks of 25kg bags of rice, intended for free distribution to vulnerable households. Each truck reportedly contained 1,200 bags of rice.
The government has consistently stated its commitment to addressing food inflation and has rolled out various intervention measures.
However, the distribution of palliatives in Nigeria has historically been plagued by corruption and allegations of misconduct.
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