The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has terminated its contract with the Gambia government, according to a senior government official who is familiar with the development.

According to The Alkamba Times who first broke the news in June, revealed that the contract was for distributing more than D222 million worth of Covid-19 Relief Rice Supplies.

The online news outlet reports that the contract was terminated because, for two years, key suppliers failed to deliver supplies to the WFP warehouse at Jeshwang.

The Point has been reliably been informed that the supplier, Mohamed Kebbeh, who failed the contract is being arrested by the police and is helping them in their investigation.

The WFP signed the contract with the government on 17 July 2020, amended on 22 July 2021, under which the UN agency was to collect 8550 metric tonnes of relief rice from suppliers.

However, only eight out of 11 suppliers have delivered supplies to the WFP warehouses.