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Why I can’t say anything about NCS rice for Oyo ─NAFDAC DG

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General, NAFDAC

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

As the brickbats between the Federal Government of Nigeria, Oyo State Government and Nigeria Customs (NCS) over what is amiss in connection with the expired rice the NCS purportedly distributed to the Pacesetter State (Oyo) continue, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has denied certifying the rice shipped to the state.

ConsumerConnect gathered that Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, in an interview on a live evening TVC programme Tuesday, April 28, said though the Agency  was invited to certify the rice in Ogun and Lagos Commands of NCS, it was not called in to certify the rice in Ibadan Customs Command that was shipped to Oyo State.

Earlier, the Management of the NCS and the Federal Government, through the office of Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, Honourable Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, had declared that the weevils-infested rice which the Oyo State Government pronounced unfit for human consumption and rejected was certified by NAFDAC.

Clarifying the role of her agency in the whole rice distribution saga, Prof. Adeyeye stated that “our staff went to Idiroko and Ikeja to certify the rice there, and the rice was found okay.

“The one for Oyo State, I cannot say anything because NAFDAC was not called. So, I cannot say anything about that because NAFDAC was not called to Ibadan.”

“I don’t know why NAFDAC was not called to take samples for the Oyo State Command.

“The ones we tested were good enough, and the rest of the samples are still with us in the lab. The Customs invited us in all cases; it is not the state government.”

Recall that 1,800 bags of rice were distributed to Oyo State as part of the Federal Government’s palliatives to cushion the impacts of lockdown on the poor and vulnerable in the country.

The state also said plans were in place to return the bags of rice, but the Federal Government Monday, April 27 claimed that the rice was certified fit by NAFDAC before they were distributed to states.

Hajiya Farouq had said: “As you may recall, we mentioned here (at the Presidential Task Force daily briefing in Abuja) that we distributed the rice relief to the states.

“The rice was handed over to us by the Nigeria Customs Service, and it was assessed by NAFDAC, who issued a clearance before the goods were released for onward distribution to the states.

“So, as far as we are concerned, the rice was certified fit for human consumption.”

But NAFDAC Director-General responded that “the one for Oyo State, I cannot say anything because NAFDAC was not called by the Ibadan Command or the Southwest Command of Customs to come and check samples in Ibadan.

“So, I cannot say anything about the Ibadan Command rice that went to Oyo and possibly to Osun State.”

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