PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has directed the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, and the Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, to collaborate with governors in going after people stockpiling food.
Nigeria has been dealing with an increase in the cost of food, goods caused by the removal of fuel subsidies and insecurity, among other issues.
However, as part of efforts to address the issue, the Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris stated that Tinubu has directed the chiefs of these security agencies and the NSA to collaborate with governors on the issue.
“First, the National Security Adviser, Inspector General of Police; and Director General of the State Services have been directed to coordinate with the state governors to look at this issue of those hoarding commodities,” he said after a meeting between President Tinubu and state governors today.
“At this point that the nation requires food to be brought out to the people so that we can control prices and put food on the table of most Nigerians, commodity sellers are busy hoarding these commodities so that Nigerians will suffer or they will make more money as a result.
“So, the governors and Mr President have taken this decision that security agencies will collaborate with state governors to ensure this ends.”
President Tinubu had ordered the release of grains to ease the rising cost of food items with the Federal Government mulling importation of food.
However, Idris said that won’t be the case anymore.
“A decision has also been taken that in the interest of our country, there would be no need for food importation at this time. Nigeria has the potential to feed itself and be a net exporter of food items to other countries,” he said.
“We do not also want to reverse some of the progress we have seen in terms of food production in this country. What we are seeing now is just a temporary difficulty that will soon go away.”
