• FEC continues next week
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Executive Council presided over by President Bola Tinubu announced that a total number of 740 trucks of rice have been distributed across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with each state receiving 20 trucks containing 1,200 bags of 25kg rice.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the announcement at the end of the council meeting. He stated that the President directed the Minister of Agriculture to ensure food availability for Nigerians amid the current hardship.
He said the rice distribution is aimed at alleviating the hardship faced by Nigerians, and the state governors are expected to ensure the trucks of rice reach the most vulnerable in their respective states.
Idris said: “The council deliberated on the state of affairs in Nigeria, especially the issue of food supply and shortage of food on the table of many Nigerians. And after exhaustive deliberation, the Minister of Agric had earlier been directed to ensure that food is being made available to Nigerians. And the understanding is that about 20 trucks of rice has already been supplied to each of the state of the Federation including the federal capital territory. Each of the trucks of course is carrying about 1,200, 25kg bags of rice.
“This is part of the measures that government is taking in addition to so many others to ensure that the hardship being experienced by Nigerians is drastically ameliorated.
“So for recap each of the state governments has received 20 trucks of rice for onward distribution to the most vulnerable. This is a first step and the federal government will continue to support all the state governors and local governments, all the subnationals, so that the hardship been experienced by most Nigerians in terms of shortage of food supply is breached.
“It is expected that the state governors will go ahead and distribute this food item to the most vulnerable. So that the hardship like I said being experience will be brought down significantly.”
Idris also said the council took note of the complaints amongst Nigerians, which include transportation, food prices and food shortages and that government was doing all it can to ensure that food is put on the table of most Nigerians.
He said: “Now in all, the federal executive council took note of some of the complaints amongst Nigerians, some of the issues raised in terms of transportation, in terms of food prices or food shortages in many homes around the country and the federal executive council is ramping up all that needs to be done to ensure that food is being put on the table of most Nigerians.
“So what government is doing now is just a necessary first step to ensure that supplies are made available to Nigerians through the state governors. I have told you earlier that 20 trucks of rice already has reached the state governors.
“All the governors have already taken delivery of that. And the government will continue to work to ensure that food intervention is made available. This of course is an addition to the effort that government is making in terms of fertilizer supply which is already also being processed. Most of the governors will also have support.
“Recall that the Central Bank of Nigeria had earlier made available over 2.1 million bags of assorted fertilizer to the Ministry of Agriculture for onward distribution to the states. So that is also in progress.
“The Federal Government will do everything they can to ensure that we have more food for our people, investments in the agricultural sector is ramped up and you also know that the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development that was announced by and Mr. President, also will takeoff very soon.
“So these are some of the measures and some of the discussions that we had at the federal executive council meeting today. We hope that council meeting also continue next week.”
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, said council also discussed CNG buses as promised by the federal government to Nigerians. He said council directed the presidential Committee on CNG to expedite its activities to supply buses, to also make it possible for the conversion kits to be available to most Nigerians.
He said: “There is also a discussion on the CNG that the federal government has promised Nigerians. The federal executive council has directed the presidential Committee on CNG to expedite its activities to supply buses, to also make it possible for the conversion kits to be available to most Nigerians.
“Already, they have started but the federal executive council asked them to redouble their effort. So that conversion kits that we need for the CNG to populate will be made available.
“Also the conversion centers that had earlier been approved will also be significantly upgraded so that Nigerians will have more conversation centers, more conversation kits. The compliance level of CNG, the federal government has directed this should go up, so as to reduce our over reliance on PMS. And this will in turn also aid our energy transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy.”