President Tinubu Orders Emergency Meeting On Food, Security

 The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris, on Tuesday said President Tinubu had directed immediate interventions to alleviate the suffering and forestall a further breakdown in security.

The minister made this known after a meeting of the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Mohammed told newsmen at the end of the Tuesday’s meeting that:

 “It is a special presidential committee to address the issue of food shortage or lack of enough food on the table of most Nigerians.

“What I will tell Nigerians is that the President has directed that government needs to step in to stem this tide. The government will not fold its arms and see how Nigerians are suffering regarding 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 the government’s position in this regard. But all I can say is that discussions are ongoing, and very soon, a solution is in sight for Nigerians.”

READ ALSO: Court Sentences Chiamaka Ifezue To Death For The Murder Of Enugu Makeup Artiste, Ijeoma Nneke

The Minister while opining that Nigeria was not in shortage of food, said the Federal Government was in talks with millers and major commodity traders to avail more supply, thereby reducing the price of some commodities.

He accused some elements of taking advantage of the high food prices and the depreciation of the naira to wreak havoc.

“The government is also talking to major millers and major commodity traders, also to see what is available in their stores, to open it up so the government will provide some intervention, discuss with them, provide some intervention to make this food available to Nigerians.

“What the government is noticing is that actually there is still food in this country. Some people are taking advantage of the situation, especially because of the depreciation in the value of our currency, which has led to the cost of these food items also going up.

“So, all these issues were discussed…the National Security Adviser was there because this also has some national security implications. All these have been discussed,” the minister explained.