We’ll open reserves to address food costs — FG

According to Idris, major millers and commodity traders would be engaged by the government in order to make the food items readily available.

The minister said: “”We just rounded off a meeting. 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. Government will not fold its arms and see the way Nigerians are suffering in terms of the availability of these food items.

“Now, some of these will involve unlocking the foods that are available in most of the storage facilities (National Food Reserve) around the country. You know that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has some food reserves. They are going to be made available to Nigerians.

READ ALSO:

• Veteran Nollywood actress, Ethel Ekpe, is dead
• Kwara varsity deputy bursar dies watching Super Eagles AFCON semi-finals
• Labour unions give FG 14-day notice of nationwide strike

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

He, however, alleged that some disgruntled Nigerians were taking advantage of the situation adding that there is still food in this country.

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

“All these issues were discussed; the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Yemi Cardoso) was at the meeting. The Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy (Wale Edun) was there and of course, the Chief of Staff and the National Security Adviser were there. The NSA was there because of some national security implications.