By Osita Chinedu
Following the mass protest in Minna, the state capital of Niger state over the rising cost of food prices and dwindling economic situation, the Bola Tinubu administration has issued marching orders to the relevant authorities to work out immediate measures to checkmate the rising cost of food prices across the country.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris made this known after a meeting of the National Emergency on Food Intervention yesterday in Abuja.
He stated that the president is disturbed and concerned about the accessibility and affordability of food prices across the nation.
Referring to the mass protest in Minna, the Minister said, “The government is very much concerned about what Nigerians are going through, especially what happened in Minna yesterday.
“Therefore the government is taking some actions to ensure that Nigerians have some relief in terms of the availability of food on the table.”
He assured that some significant measures are already being considered in the committee meeting which was billed to continue till Thursday towards ameliorating the deplorable situation.
“Now, some of these will involve unlocking the foods that are available in most of the storage facilities (National Food Reserves) around the country.
“The government is also talking to major millers and major commodity traders to also see what is available in their stores.
“To open it up, so that government will provide some intervention, discuss with them to provide some intervention to make this food available to Nigerians.”
Mr. Idris stated that the government is aware that some persons are creating food shortages due to the high cost thereof and the depreciation in the value of the naira. However, he reassured that the President has directed the relevant government agency to step in to control the situation.
“Government will not fold its arms and see the way Nigerians are suffering in terms of the availability of these food items. So I want to plead with you to understand with the government. “By the time these meetings are concluded, we’ll be able to issue a definite statement on what the position of government is in this regard.”
