By Tom Aneke
In a bid to reduce prices of food items and mitigate the effects of galloping inflation in the country,
President Bola Tinubu has directed the release of essential grains into the Nigerian market.
Consequently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is expected to release about 42,000 metric tonnes of grain including maize, millet and garri.
This is even as the Nigerian Rice Millers Association of has promised immediate release over 60,000 metric tonnes of rice to the public.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this after a meeting of the Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention in Abuja, Thursday.
Idris said that the measures were taken by the Federal Government to reduce the hardships being faced by Nigerians.
“These will be made available and we know that that is enough to take Nigeria in the next couple of weeks. One month, six weeks, perhaps up to two months.
“Now the whole idea of this is to crush the cost of these food items. And these are measures that will happen immediately.
“Now, the third item is that government is also looking at the possibility, if it becomes absolutely necessary and as an interim measure, to also import some of these commodities immediately so that these commodities can be made available to Nigerians,” he said.
Idris also said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security would further invest massively in the farming process to boost production and ensure the country’s food potential are fully exploited.
He said that government would appeal to persons or groups to stop hoarding these products in order to maximise profit at the detriment of ordinary Nigerians.
“Government of course is also looking at all those who are hoarding these commodities, because actually, these commodities are available in the stores of many traders.
“Government is appealing to them that they should open up these doors and make these commodities available in the interest of our nation.
“There is no point when the whole country is looking for this food you are locking up these products where you make more money and then Nigerians suffer. Of course, government will not fold its arms.
“If they don’t respond by bringing these commodities to the market, government will take appropriate measures to ensure that these products are made available to Nigerians.”
The Minister said that government would also take measures to ensure that food continue to be accessible and affordable to Nigerians.
“We ask that Nigerians need to be more patriotic; be our brother’s keepers. Sell this thing, of course at a margin but at a margin that is not also killing to Nigerians.
“This is an emergency situation. Every nation faces emergency situations. This is our own time to face these challenges.
“The President has directed that whatever it will take, food will be available to Nigerians at a cost that is also very reasonable,” he said.
(Vanguard)
