The Federal Government of Nigeria has suddenly shelved its plans to sell subsidized rice to civil servants, a development communicated in a series of circulars emanating from the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs. The confused and unexplained policy shift has raised concerns over whether the country can find a solution to its food inflation crisis, improve the living standards of the people, and spur economic recovery.
A government scheme was announced on August 1, 2024, whereby 50 kg bags of rice are to be sold at a subsidized rate of N40,000 to civil servants. It was a part of more extensive plans put together by the administration of President Bola Tinubu to soften the impact on the common man from rising food prices. The Ministry had created centers across the country where civil servants could buy the rice, all the while placing a Google form in its website as a form of interest form. Interest applicants had been made to log onto a Google form, which was placed on the website of the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, as the distribution process was solely been managed by the various designated office all over, but this time, under the authority of Chairman, Joint Union Council, to ensure transparency.
A new circular, however, was issued on August 2, 2024, signed by Aderonke Jaiyesimi, Director of Human Resources, announcing the withdrawal of the earlier plan. The latest circular instructed that the previous directive was to be ignored and further details would be provided in due course. The circular did not spell out reasons for the sudden withdrawal of the scheme and did not specify whether the program is cancelled permanently or suspended.
The sudden nature of the decision raises so many questions, particularly regarding withdrawal and the future of the scheme. Unclear reasons for the withdrawal and the future of the scheme fuelled uncertainty among the civil servants who had been readily awaiting the subsidized rice. An initial plan to offer some reprieve to the country’s civil servants facing an escalating food inflation crisis that reached a staggering 40.87 per cent in June, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
In particular, this move came at a time when the economy of Nigeria was in a very bad shape. Food prices hiked to some reasonable extent, therefore enhancing the economic constraints that most Nigerians felt and which brought complaints from all over the country. Recent protests have seen Nigerian youths taking to the streets to voice their frustrations over hunger, economic difficulties, and perceived mismanagement by the government. In that regard, this may further heighten such feelings with the withdrawal of the subsidized rice scheme that was supposed to be a palliative for them.
A previous circular from the Federal Government, with an August 1, 2024 date, had outlined the procedures to be followed in procuring the subsidized rice. Civil servants were required to download a Google form provided on the OHCSF website, fill it out, and forward it to the Director of Human Resources for endorsement. The Ministry had planned that the payment and distribution of rice be done through certain offices with the Chairman of the Joint Union Council serving as an observer for the entire process in a bid to ensure transparency.
This was part of the set of actions that the administration of Tinubu was proposing to better living conditions in Nigeria, considering the economic turmoil that the nation was facing. The bigger plan by the government was on several other programs that could mitigate the effects of food inflation and offer relief to the poor and other vulnerable sections.
This withdrawal of the rice subsidy program exemplifies how tricky it really is to execute any good measure of relief to its people, as the economic crisis is ongoing. No obvious reason has been stated for withdrawing the scheme, which pushed many civil servants into a dilemma as they were expecting the help.
The Federal Government had explained that the subsidized rice programme was part of the various measures that would be implemented to cushion the impact of the current food crisis. The measure was rather perceived as a practical step taken to alleviate the immediate suffering of civil servants, who had been battling to survive in the face of an increasingly expensive cost of living occasioned by rising food prices.
While the government remains focused on tackling the intricacies of its economic situation, it stands to reason that the sudden abolition of a rice subsidy scheme understandably rocks the very foundation of effective relief measures it had implemented. With no detailed information on why the scheme was scrapped and what the future holds in store for the same, many questions remain relevant. This adds up to the sense of frustration and disappointment which most people hoping to find relief from such measures have been experiencing.
SOURCES
- https://dailytrust.com/fg-suspends-plan-to-sell-n40000-subsidised-rice-to-civil-servants/
- https://www.icirnigeria.org/fg-withdraws-plan-to-sell-rice-at-n40000-to-nigerians/
- https://www.google.com/amp/s/punchng.com/fg-stops-sale-of-n40000-subsidised-rice-to-civil-servants/%3famp
