By Yinka Kolawole
The Osun State Government has said it has commenced investigation into claims that a few bags of rice out of the over 6,000 bags distributed as palliatives to cushion the effect of the lockdown on people of the state over COVID-19 are adulterated.
The state Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, who disclosed this in a statement, said the government had received complaints that some of the distributed bags of rice may not have met the expected quality.
Egbemode noted that the state government was pained by the development and had immediately begun investigation to establish the source of the affected few bags.
According to her, “The state government led by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola is particularly pained by this development, considering the fact that it has never compromised quality in its provision of economic stimulus for the people of state in spite of its limited resources.
“The state government is very responsible and responsive, which places premium on the well-being of its people and would not do anything to jeopardise its citizens’ health.
“Upon receipt of the complaints, the state government has immediately begun investigations to establish the source of the few bags that appear not to have met the quality expected.”
The commissioner disclosed that as part of the investigation, the state government had invited all suppliers and vendors from whom the relief materials were purchased, for questioning in order to identify the source of the problem.
“We assure our citizens that upon unraveling what went wrong , the state government will take necessary punitive measures against the erring supplier(s) or vendor(s), including de-listing such vendor from the state government’s directory and even proclaiming a disclaimer to that effect,” she added.
Egbemode also revealed that all the over 6000 bags of rice were purchased from dealers in the state, which she said was part of government’s efforts to empower its people and also stimulate the local economy.
