Secretary to the Government of Ogun State, Mr Olatokunbo Talabi has confirmed that the State has taken the first delivery of 3,000 bags of rice donation from the Federal Government in fulfillment of its plan to distribute grains to mitigate the effect of the subsidy removal policy in each state.

The SSG informed that the bagging of the grains and packaging of the commodities were already ongoing.

Mr Talabi while answering questions from Journalists on developments regarding the distribution of palliatives to states as promised by the FG in his office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, also affirmed that the state government has received from the Federal Government part of the money planned for the procurements of grains to be distributed to residents by each state.

The SSG noted that the state government is procuring more grains to complement the one given by the FG for a wider reach of the residents, informing that special considerations will be given to the Aged, Physically Challenged Persons, Women among others in the distribution of the commodities.

He informed that the state government had already set up a committee of highly credible persons on the distribution of the palliatives.

Talabi said "Part of what we are also looking at, is that there is a big cry by the livestock feeds millers for maize. We are getting maize as well from the Federal Government's Stock and we are also making some procurements by ourselves so that a lot of the millers as well as poultry farmers and those into livestock rearing business have something immediately for feeds. So not only are we considering human consumption but we are also inducing the production of dairies and livestock and these essentially are what we are doing on the committee responsible for the distribution of the palliatives".

The State Scribe who assured that the distribution would have nothing to do with political or religious affiliations said only the Aged, Physically Challenged Persons and Women would be given special consideration.

Talabi informed that the mandate of the governor to the committee was to come up with credible plans and strategies for a very wide reach of the people in the distribution noting that part of the strategy to set the state on the path of economic recovery was to procure the needed grains locally from people who could sell to the government.