The federal government has announced the sale of a 50kg bag
of rice for N40,000.
Speaking with journalists at the presidential villa on
Monday, Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, said
20 trucks of rice have been distributed to each state of the federation.
The minister said the bags of rice are being sold at
designated centres for N40,000 each, a 50 percent slash of the market price.
However, the minister did not state the locations where the
rice is being sold.
“The president has listened to the voices of all those who
are planning this protest. And the message is that there is no need for it,” he
said.
“Indeed, the president is already protesting on their behalf
by doing those things that they want a government to do. For example, the
effort that the government is making in ensuring that food is being made
available.
“The last council meeting here at the briefing, we announced
that a number of trucks, 20 precisely, had been given to the state governors
for onward distribution to those who actually are in need of them to the
poorest of the poor in society and those who are actually in need. Food being
made available.
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“But the government did not stop there, there is also rice
that is being sold at about 50 percent of its cost — a bag of rice is being
sold as we speak now.
“This rice has been taken to various centres across all the
states of the federation and is being sold at N40,000. Centres have been
created so that those who need this rice can go there and buy this rice at
N40,000.
“In the first instance, about 10 trucks have been made
available to each of these states and indeed this is just the beginning. I know
that some of the comments you hear are that it is never enough.
“The government has not pretended that these supplies are
indeed enough. But these are necessary first steps that are being made, and
more of such interventions are being made in the interim.”
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The minister said the prices of food will decline, adding
that the federal government has made significant investments in agriculture.
“Of course, this is like I said an interim measure because
there is so much investment that is going into the agricultural sector,” he
said.
“And the rainy season is here. We expect that the prices of
food items will come down as investments are also being made not just for the
traditional agricultural produce but also for the irrigation activities in many
of these states in the federation.
“So, we expect that as we move forward, prizes of food items
and commodities will, of course, come down.”
Idris appealed to youths to shelve the planned nationwide
protest, saying the federal government is working to address the challenges in
the nation.
“There is also the provision that is being made for these
young people. We are aware of the effort that is being made to ensure that
about 3 million of them are being put into employment through the MTT programme,”
he said.
“Of course, it is the
democratic right of every Nigerian to engage in peaceful protests, and the
government is not an opponent to that.
“But what the government is doing is to ensure that while
there is this right for you to protest, your right will also end where someone
else’s begins.
“Therefore, while you
are thinking of protesting, the government is appealing to you to first shelve
it because it has a great likelihood that this protest may be hijacked and may
turn violent by unscrupulous elements, and Nigeria will not be good for it.
“Of course, we know that people are saying that there is no
intention for violence in this, but our history has shown that there’s the
possibility that this protest can be hijacked and could turn violent.
“It is an appeal
again that the federal government is making to ensure that as the government is
making an effort to satisfy the demands of Nigerians in several respects in
health care, in agriculture, in the provision of infrastructure in ensuring
that our youth, the young population, go to school and that they can also get
employed when they finish and even before they do that.
“The social security system is being put out there so that
no one is left behind.
“So, all this coming together, of course, it takes time for
it to come full circle, but there is this, please; there is no need for this
protest.”
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