Customs decries rejection of 1,800 bags of rice by Oyo government 

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Oyo/Osun Area Command, has declared that the Oyo State government is not being fair to the Customs service over the rejection of 1,800 bags of rice it gave to the state.

Public Relations Officer of the command, Abdullah Lagos, made this declaration while speaking with DAILY POST Saturday evening.

Lagos, while reacting to the rejection of 1,800 bags of rice by the Oyo State government, said that something fishy was going on.

DAILY POST recalls that the federal government of Nigeria had ordered Oyo/Osun Customs Area Command to donate some bags of rice to four states in the South West region.

The command on Monday donated 1,800 bags of rice to Oyo state government, 1,800 bags to Osun, 1,800 bags to Ekiti and 800 bags to Ondo State.

But, Oyo State government on Friday rejected the rice, claiming that they were not suitable for human consumption.

However, Customs, while reacting, said that Oyo State government was not fair to the command.

Lagos who spoke on behalf of the command, said, “We gave1,800 to Oyo, 1,800 to Osun, 800 to Ondo and 1,800 to Ekiti. We did not choose for them. Why is it that it is only Oyo State that is rejecting the rice.

“Oyo State came, and they inspected the rice on Monday. They came to collect the rice on Tuesday; they didn’t complain. We had to wait for them. Other states came before Oyo, and we told them that since Oyo is our host, they had to get their own first. We waited for them and they chose. Nobody chose for them. How can you say that all the 1,800 bags of rice are not good?

“It is not only Oyo State that collected the rice. Why is it that they are the only state saying that the rice is not good?

“How can we give the public expired rice? We have a special place that we keep rice. And since Tuesday, they did not complain and on Friday, you did not call us and you called a press conference. That is too bad.

“We suspect foul play. They came to inspect the rice on Monday. They came to collect on Tuesday. We did not choose for them, they chose.

“Journalists were there. They are not being fair to us.”