By Gambo Jagindi
May 09, 2020
Kano govt, rice processors seal deal on N16,000 per 50kg bag of rice
The Kano State Government reached an agreement with Rice Processors Association of Nigeria to sell a 50kg bag at N16,000 in Kano.
The agreement was signed on Saturday at the State Public Complaints and Anti-corruption Commission headquarters in Kano, following a meeting with the leadership of the Rice Processors Association of Nigeria, Kano branch under the Chairmanship of Alhaji Muhammed Abubakar.
Under the agreement, the Rice Processors Association would supply 30 trucks of rice weekly to designated stores at N15,500 per bag to be sold not more than N16,000 per bag.
The deal made it mandatory for each buyer to acquire not more than 2 bags at the designated centres.
The Chairman of the Commission, Muhuyi Magaji Rimigado said the meeting was not to infringe on the rights of the rice processors but for better understanding of conducive business atmosphere for the buyers and the sellers.
He explained that all the efforts are geared towards ensuring that customers get value for their money so that hoarding of essential commodities become a thing of the past in the state.
Recently, the Kano Government also sealed a deal with marketers to check the rising cost of sugar in the state.
“In times like this it won’t be surprising to tackle problems like hoarding and price hikes. To avoid this occurrence, I had a meeting with market leaders in the state to discuss measures that will be taken going forward.
Going forward, a bag of Sugar will be sold at the price of N16,000 and all other commodities will go back to their normal price with the exception of rice, which they (marketers) claimed is out of stock for now, ” Kano governor Abdullahi Ganduje was quoted as saying.
Ganduje stated:” We cannot battle the coronavirus pandemic and internal scuffles like price hikes and it’s wonderful that common ground has been reached. “
It will be recalled that the governor had earlier warned the traders in the state, against inflating prices of commodities, as well as taking undue advantage of the people following the Coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown of the state.
He said: “I have directed the State Anti-Corruption Commission to be very vigilant and monitor sells at points of sales of such commodities.”
“Whoever is found increasing any price will have his or her products confiscated and whatever is confiscated will be put into our palliative programme to be distributed to the public free,” Ganduje threatened.