In fulfillment of his pledge, the governor of Sokoto State, Dr. Ahmed Aliyu, on Wednesday flagged off the much-anticipated sale of subsidised food items, including a 50-kilogram bag of rice priced at 38,700 naira.
Speaking during the launch of the exercise at the Kware Local Government premises in Kware town, the governor reaffirmed that the sales should be free from any conditions, including political affiliations or social differences.
He stated that the state government initiated the program to ease life for the people, especially at the grassroots level, and approved a significant 55% discount on each commodity.
He said, “A 50kg bag of rice will be sold at 38,700 naira, while the 25kg bag will go for 19,350 naira, and the 10kg bag is priced at 7,740 naira.
“We have also advised the committee overseeing the sales to cater to those who cannot afford the larger sizes by offering smaller quantities for purchase.”
“The government is not aiming to collect the proceeds from these sales but plans to open a special account for the funds, which will be used to purchase more foodstuffs to sustain the project.”
The governor revealed that the state government had spent 14.488 billion naira on the project, procuring 280 trailers of rice. Each ward in the state is entitled to one truck, equivalent to 600 bags of rice.
The governor commended the leader of the party in the state, Senator Aliyu Wamakko, for his fatherly advice to the government, which he said had been instrumental to the success of his administration.
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He added that adequate measures had been put in place to ensure that the commodity fulfills its intended purpose.
Earlier, the chairman of the committee, Chiso Abdullah Dattijo, assured the governor that due process would be followed throughout the sales process.
Dattijo further explained that with the flag-off of the exercise, rice is now available for sale at all designated locations across the 242 wards in the state.
Also speaking, the coordinator of the project in Kware Local Government, Professor Malami Maishanu of Usman Danfodiyo University, urged residents to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the state government.
He commended the state government for implementing a policy aimed at benefiting those at the grassroots level.
