* Deploys NEMA, DSS To Monitor The Exercise
By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief) @CelestineOkaf11
As Nigerians groan under the axyphiziating shortage and high cost of grain food products in the country, the Federal Government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has resolved to quickly arrest the trend.
The Federal Government, on Wednesday (2024 Valentine's Day) announced that it will soon release, for mass distribution nationwide and at no cost, about 42,000 metric tonnes of grains which was recently approved by President Tinubu to cushion the pangs of hunger, starvation and economic hardship being experienced by most poor Nigerians.
To make the grain distribution exercise to be effective and to reach the government's target of the poor population in the country, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had been engaged in the food distribution process.
These details were disclosed by Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Alhaji Abubakar Kyari, at the inaugural ministerial press briefing series held at the National Press Centre Auditorium in Abuja.
Also at the briefing, was the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris (the host minister for the executive briefing series); the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Dr (Mrs)
Deeply worried by the current food challenges and its attendant high cost due to the existing galloping inflation on virtually all consumer and non-consumable items, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,.last week, issued a Presidential directive to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to release about 42,000MT of maize, millet and other commodities from the national strategic reserves to tackle the high cost of food in the country.
Tinubu's directive was communicated to the nation by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, after a meeting of the Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention held in Abuja.The minister also stated that the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria had promised to release about 60,000 metric tons of rice to the markets.
According to the Information Minister, Idris, he told journalists that, “The first one is that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has been directed to release about 42,000MT of maize, millet, garri, and other commodities in their strategic reserve so that these items will be made available to Nigerians; 42,000MT immediately.
"The second one is that we have held meetings with the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria. Those who are responsible for producing this rice and we have asked them to open up their stores.
“They’ve told us that they can guarantee about 60,000 metric tons of rice. They will make that available to Nigerians; to bring out to the market to make food available".
The 42,000 metric tons of grains, the Agric Minister, Kyari, explained during the Wednesday briefing, would strictly be made available to the poor and vulnerable Nigerians at no cost to them.
“This 42,000MT is going to the needy free of charge. It will be directly to the needy at no cost. We’ve met with NEMA and DSS to give us the index. These are where to gather intelligence reports on where it is needed the most. And we are going to look at those indices.”
Kyari revealed that the government would insist on the food items being distributed to the poor and would also ensure that only the needy would benefit from the exercise. He equally hinted that state governors had been notified about their involvement in the grain distribution exercise.
REASON FOR THE MINISTERIAL BRIEFING SERIES:
Meanwhile, the reason for the ministerial Press briefing series has been explained by Mohammed Idris, Nigeria's Minister of Information and National Orientation.
He said at a previous news conference that the briefing was primarily to explain President Tinubu's government governance activities to the people with the aim of carrying the citizens along on the policies and programmes of the administration. The Minister said the ministerial briefing will feature his colleague ministers in the various ministries who would be invited to brief the citizens about their performance activities.
Idris also stated that the MPBS is in line with the mandate of his office as Federal Government's spokesman to manage and enhance the image and reputation of the people and government of Nigeria through a dynamic public information system. He explained that the series would help to restore trust and amplify policies and programmes of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
The MPBS, the Information and National Orientation Minister also stated, would provide opportunity for journalists to engage with top officials of the federal government on behalf of Nigerians.
"Our objective here is to enlighten, inform and educate Nigerians and the world, and to ensure that everyone is carried along through the provision of credible and timely information. This is the first in the series, there will be many more of this briefing that will take place, periodically, in the months and years ahead.
“We will continue to strive to refine and to improve our engagement with you, the members of the fourth estate of the realm, and with the Nigerian people", the minister stated. NNL.