The Federal Government says
despite the revolution witnessed in the agricultural sector, the cost of food
items is still high because of infrastructural deficit and export demands.
Minister of Information and
Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this on Tuesday when he featured on Africa
Independent Television (AIT’s) Current Affairs programme “Focus Nigeria”.
“Despite the fact that the
production of staples like rice, grains, yam has increased with the agriculture
revolution of the government, food items are still on the high side.
“There are many reasons why the
prices are still up there but principally, I think it is infrastructural
deficit.
“By this, I mean what it takes to
bring the produce from the farms to the farm gates and from the farm gates to
the city centres and this may not improve until various road and rail projects
are completed.
“The good news, however, is that
from October this year, the General Electric, which has the concession for the
3,500 narrow gauge rail routes will commence work.
“The Lagos to Kano standard gauge
rail project and the Lagos to Calabar rail lines which will criss cross all the
South Eastern States are priority projects of the government.
“That will help in the
transportation of goods and services including agricultural produce at a far
cheaper fare and that will percolate to the common man,” he said.
The minister said that the
government would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the Lagos to Ibadan,
Kano to Maiduguri and other critical roads across the country were completed.
Mohammed also explained that
“there is so much demand on our grains and cereals from other parts of Africa.
“You cannot stop the farmers especially
with the ECOWAS Protocols that allows for free movement of goods and services.
“There is also a lot of demand
for our grains from other parts of the world and as a matter of fact, we got
over N30 billion from agricultural export in the second quarter of this year.
“I believe that with the economy
picking up and the various infrastructural development coming up, Nigeria will
very soon start to feel some relief.
“Also the Presidential initiative
to employ 10,000 people from each state in the agricultural sector will bring
succour and a lot of relief,” he said.
Speaking on his hopes and fears
for the country, the minister said that, 57 years after independence, he was
very confident and optimistic that Nigeria will be great.
“Living together for 57 years as
an independent country with all the ups and downs and challenges and we are
going stronger in all ramification.
“The present administration is
getting its priorities right and focussed on the economy, good governance,
security and improving the quality of life of Nigerians,” he said.
The minister reiterated the
position of President Muhammadu Buhari that with Nigeria exiting recession, the
administration would not rest on its oars until the impact is felt by all
Nigerians.
He said it was on record that
since January, the country had recorded monthly steady reduction on headline
inflation.
“Capital inflow has improved from
902 million dollar in first quarter to 1.792 billion dollars in second quarter.
“We have been able to add
additional 8 billion dollars to our foreign reserve which was 23.7 billion
dollars last year, but now 33.5 billion dollars this year.
“Our Balance of Trade has
increased, farmers today get fertiliser at N5,500 as opposed to N13,000 before
and we were able to deliver the fertilisers to farmers before the planting
season.
“These are incremental gains and
if we remain focussed on our reforms, all these will improve,” he said.
For those criticising the
president on his Independence Address to the nation, the minister said that
Buhari addressed issues that were germaine to national development.
He said Buhari’s speech touched
on national security, economy, corruption, unity and development as well as the
achievements recorded by the administration despite constraints.
The minister said that though the
government had made its position clear on the agitation for restructuring, but
“the greatest threat we have today is not restructuring but it is about
corruption”.
“I make bold to say that
corruption is the bane of the country and the biggest threat to our existence.
“Year in year out, huge sums of
money are voted for and released for projects that will touch the lives of
Nigerians but they are stolen and these projects are left abandoned.
“It is interesting that those
people who are vociferous about restructuring are the same people that were in
power for 16 years and they did not do anything about restructuring,” he said.
The minister commended the ruling
APC for creating the platform to get the aggregate of the views of Nigerians as
to what they meant by restructuring.
NAN
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kai kai lai you don't start again when are you going to give glory to GOD , you cannot share glory with GOD ,Nigerians has been praying to GOD for PEACE, HEALTH ,SATABILITY, and our creator has heard us we give thanks to GOD for his mercy on use ,pls stop all this proper gander of politics, GOD hates a proud mouth ,remember what happen to NEBUCHARTNAZAR of Babylon, PMB, & the ministers of agriculture and transport has not praise themselves as you, pls talk about your ministry lets us know your achievement ,for your information I am not a politician ,many people like me take onto farming without any assistance from gov, we pay our tax to the gov, the road in our farms are don by us the comunity , stop TAKING GLORY all glory belongs to GOD,you are free to ask any honest religiost person to tell you the out come of a proud person or he who tells lies,
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ReplyDeleteThe Federal Government says despite the revolution witnessed in the agricultural sector, the cost of food items is still high because of infrastructural deficit and export demands.
ReplyDelete“Despite the fact that the production of staples like rice, grains, yam has increased with the agriculture revolution of the government, food items are still on the high side.
“There are many reasons why the prices are still up there but principally, I think it is infrastructural deficit.
“By this, I mean what it takes to bring the produce from the farms to the farm gates and from the farm gates to the city centres and this may not improve until various road and rail projects are completed. ANOTHER BIGGEST LIE. YOU SAID YOU "THINK", THAT SHOWS THAT YOU ARE NOT EVEN SURE OF YOUR ASSERTION. WHAT OF THE PAST? WAS THERE SURPLUS INFRASTRUCTURE BEFORE WE HAD CHEAP PRICES OF FOOD ITEMS? ACCORDING TO YOUR SO CALLED CLAIM OF REVOLUTION IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR WHICH BROUGHT ABOUT SURPLUS FOOD, THEN BY CALCULATION, WE OUGHT TO HAVE CHEAPER FOOD ITEMS THAN BEFORE, BUT THE REVERSE IS THE CASE. A REVOLUTION THAT NEVER MADE COMMON FERTILIZER CHEAP AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO FARMERS COMPARED TO THE PAST. PLEASE IF THERE IS NOTHING TO SAY, THIS GOVT SHOULD BE QUITE.
... Government of excuses.... It is a pity! It is a shame!
ReplyDelete