NCP Chairman Condemns Lagos Bag Of Rice Price

The NCP leader recommended a subsidized selling price of N5000 per bag.

Mr Ibuowo's aired his view in a statement issued on Monday, December 19.

The statement reads: "It is clear that Lagosians and Nigerians in general are facing serious hunger due to food shortages and economic meltdown in the country today. We believe that is why the Lagos state government considered it necessary to invest in planting rice inorder to bring succor to the people of Lagos.

If food is made available at cheaper rate to its people it will reduce hunger, starvation, kidnapping,armed robbery and other social vices to the barest minimum level.

We believe it is the duty of any responsible government to take good care of its citizen at any point in time, particularly at such difficult time of economy recession like this.

Our attention has been drawn to the fact that Lagos state government has fixed the price of its rice at (thirteen thousand Naira only) N13,000 per bag. To us this price is not only on the high side but too harsh on the masses at this material time.

After all in comparison imported rice is been sold to the whole sellers at the rate of twelve thousand Naira only (N12, 000.00) while the whole sellers sell to the consumers at the rate of fourteen thousand Naira (N14, 000.00).

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The implication is that the Lagos state government rice is much more expensive by the time it gets to the consumers; that is the poor masses who could not afford to buy one bag at this price. In our candid opinion Lagos state government should not take undue advantage of the economic recession to exploit, enslave or add more pains to the people of the state.

Years back,when the minimum miserable wage was fixed for eighteen thousand per month a bag of rice then was aboutN3,000.00 ( three thousand Naira only) and now the Lagos state government rice is N13,000.00 (thirteen thousand Naira only) and the minimum wage still remain N18,000.00.

How can a worker on a stagnant N18,000 monthly miserable wage afford to buy a bag of rice for N13,000.00( thirteen thousand only)? Is this the government of change OR change from BAD to WORST? It is our considered opinion that Lagos State government should be subsidized the price of its own rice to an affordable price for which the Lagosians will be afford to buy.

In the circumstance NCP Lagos Chapter, advice the government to bring down the price of a bag of rice to five thousand Naira (N5000).This is a worthwhile investment on the welfare of the people and not for profit making.

There is nothing wrong for Lagos state government to distribute the rice for free to the less privilege people of the state.

The humongous illegal, free, unbudgeted security votes - a legalized corruption, legalized looting, legalized plundering of our collective wealth(running into billions monthly) that is neither appropriated nor constitutional is a veritable fund that can be used take care of hunger in the state by any government that believes in the welfare of its people!

We believe that Mr. Akinwumi Ambode should listen to the yearning of the people of the state and immediately reduce the price before the rice it goes into circulation.

After all good governance means being with the people, knowing their pains, abolishing their poverty, and solving their problems, that is how to govern the people and that is what NCP wants to do for the people.

Whereas democracy is popularly defined as government of the people, by the people and for the people, this is not the case in Nigeria. Once conventional politicians have either been ‘elected’ or rigged into power, they govern for themselves and not for the people."