Story by Iyiola Ayomide
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
“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.”
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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