News
Workers Decry Cumbersome Process Of Accessing FG’s Subsidised Rice
A cross-section of civil servants at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, yesterday appealed to the Tinubu administration to create more platforms to ease the collection of its subsidised rice for workers.
The 50kg bags of rice are being sold at a flat rate of N40,000 each in furtherance of the Federal Government’s intervention to ameliorate the prevailing food crises in Nigeria.
Speaking with newsmen they said the process of accessing the product has become cumbersome and unwieldy due to inadequate distribution points owing to the huge number of people turning out to benefit from the scheme.
Mr Alex Luke, a civil servant, said that the special intervention by the Federal Government is a welcome development as it is aimed at easing the burden on Nigerians.
Luke said he was number 500 on the registration list as of yesterday morning and it took him two days to be able to just write down his name on the lists
“The challenge here is that the registration and the collection points are not enough, compared to the number of workers here at the Secretariat and those who are coming from other government establishments.
“It would be brilliant if the organisers could create other platforms or different points for other MDAs to get the rice. I think it will make the process organised and coordinated, “ he said.
Also speaking, another civil servant, Mrs Eunice Linus, described the special intervention of providing rice at the rate of N40, 000 per bag as a good omen for the people as many of them would love to have them.
She, however, said it was unfortunate that the process of accessing the product “has become a big challenge as it is wasting the time workers are supposed to be using to work in their offices”.
“When I got to the office this morning, I went straight to this place to write my name, and I saw many people there and it has been like that since we started the scheme.
“You know because rice is expensive at the market workers in particular would not want to miss the opportunity to buy a bag at N40,000 here. But the process is time-wasting.
“I believe there is an easier way to organise this than this chaotic process,” she suggested.
Expressing her view, Hajia Aisha Umaru, who lauded the Federal Government for the initiative, suggested that admin officers from different ministries should be assigned to write the names of interested workers and submit the lists at points designated for the distribution or sale of the product.
“I think it is a welcome idea but we have not been finding it easy even to write our names, let alone collect the bags of rice.
“As you can see, the place is crowded and it will get worse as more people are still coming to work.
“It will be very easy if different MDAs can assign officers from their offices to write the names of people and take them to collection points.”
On her part, Mrs Patience Yakubu, said the scheme might end up making many people commit their money only to end up not getting the products.
“You can imagine all of us that are working at the Federal Secretariat coming here and people from other places coming to queue up at the Head of Service for the collection of the rice.
“When would people finish writing their names and go back to work? It means we would use the whole day for this process which we are not even sure will succeed at the end of the day.
“There is a more organised way of making this a success if the government means well for us. “
The Nigerian rail system generated N1.69billionn in revenue from passengers in the second quarter of 2024, reflecting a 53.14 per cent increase compared to the N1.10billion recorded in the same period of 2023.
This data was disclosed by the National Bureau of Statistics in its report released yesterday.
According to the report, a total of 689,263 passengers travelled by rail in Q2, representing a growth rate of 45.38 per cent compared to 474,117 passengers in the corresponding quarter of 2023.
The volume of goods transported via rail also saw a significant increase, with 143,759 tons moved in Q2 2024, up from 56,936 tons in Q2 2023. Additionally, the Nigerian Railway Corporation reported a volume of 5,940 tons of goods transported through pipelines in Q2 2024, an increase from the 2,856 tons recorded in the same period of the previous year.
Revenue from goods conveyed via rail stood at N537.36m in Q2 2024, a remarkable increase of 206.68 per cent compared to N175.22m in Q2 2023. The movement of goods through pipelines also contributed to revenue generation, with N42.08m collected in Q2 2024, compared to N12.81million in Q2 2023.
Other revenue receipts amounted to N994.68million in Q2 2024, representing a staggering increase of 5,206.68 per cent from the N18.74m recorded in the corresponding period of last year.
In the first quarter, of 2024, The Tide source reported that Nigeria spent more on servicing the debt incurred for building its railways than the revenue generated by its railway system. The country spent 2,470 per cent more on railway debt servicing than it made from revenue from rail services in the first quarter of 2024.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it is committed to advancing projects and programmes that enhance food security and sustainable growth in the region.
Chief Monday Igbuya, the Delta State representative on the NDDC Board, made this pledge in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, yesterday by the NDDC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama.
Igbuya spoke at the inauguration of a training and empowerment programme for women and youths in livestock and agro processing in Amukpe, Sapele area of Delta.
He stated that the NDDC was prioritising livestock training in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“NDDC is focussed on implementing programmes to ensure food security and agricultural growth in multi sectors, aiming to improve living standards.
“It is our belief that for socio-economic development to take place, there is need to develop manpower in the agricultural sector,” he said.
Igbuya expressed confidence that training farmers would enhance livestock production, create jobs, and alleviate poverty in the Niger Delta.
Mrs Winifred Madume, NDDC Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, said that training farmers and entrepreneurs was essential for improving productivity and market access.
“The commission has been promoting research and development through various institutions and providing farming techniques to beneficiaries,” she said.
The Project Consultant, Dr Simon Akhaine, said that 200 women and youths had registered for the livestock and agro-business skill acquisition programme.
According to him, the programme aims to equip them with the essential knowledge and skills for self-sufficiency in livestock farming, thereby boosting regional food security.
President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this year.
In his stead, Vice President Kashim Shettima will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the annual summit.
Tinubu “wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding,” a statement from the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, revealed yesterday.
The statement is titled ‘Vice President Shettima to Lead Nigeria’s Delegation to the 79th United Nations General Assembly.’
It reads, “President Bola Tinubu will not attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this year.
“Therefore, the President has directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead Nigeria’s delegation.”
Tinubu, who returned to the country last Sunday after his trips to China and the United Kingdom, “wants to focus on domestic issues and address some of the country’s challenges, especially after the recent devastating flooding,” said Onanuga.
At UNGA 79, Vice President Shettima will deliver Nigeria’s national statement to the General Assembly, attend important sideline events, and hold bilateral meetings.
The high-level General Debate, with the theme “Leaving No One Behind: Acting Together for the Advancement of Peace, Sustainable Development, and Human Dignity for Present and Future Generations,” will run from Tuesday, September 24, through Saturday, September 28, 2024.
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