The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, has said that the Federal Government palliatives of 1,800 bags of custom bond rice sent to the state was not good for consumption.
Governor Emmanuel, who stated this on Monday in Uyo during a press conference, said the government could not reject the palliatives because it was a gift.
He said he would not distribute the rice because its colour has changed. “The only palliative we have gotten from the Federal Government is 1,800 bags of custom bonded warehouse rice.
“As I am taking to you, the rice is in the warehouse. It is a gift. We have sent it for test and until the test result is out, we will not distribute it to our citizens. It is not good for consumption,” he said.
The governor stated that the state has only 3 active COVID-19 cases, and have collected a total of 84 samples so far for testing, adding that every single person who had to be tested for the disease has been tested.
He explained that it would be a waste of resources to go about testing those that should not be tested.
He revealed that the state government recruited 200 additional medical doctors to the 407 already in the employment of the state in the fight against the pandemic.