T he Federal Government announced on Monday the establishment of centers nationwide where Nigerians can purchase a 50kg bag of rice for N40,000. This initiative, revealed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, aims to alleviate the financial burden on citizens and address the rising cost of living.
During a briefing on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja, Idris emphasized that this measure is one of several efforts by the Tinubu administration to improve living conditions for Nigerians. He argued that the nationwide protests scheduled to begin on August 1 are unnecessary, asserting that "President Tinubu is already protesting on behalf of the people."
Idris stated, "The position of the FEC is that most of the demands that the protesters are making are actually being addressed by the Federal Government and, therefore, it is the view of the government that there is really no need for the protests again. Most of the things that the protesters are putting forward are already being addressed by the government. And like we have said repeatedly, this is a listening government. The President has listened to the voices of all planning this protest. And the message is that there is no need for it. Indeed, the President is already protesting on their behalf by doing what they want the government to do."
The minister highlighted the distribution of 740 trucks of grains to states and the availability of 50kg bags of rice at N40,000 at designated centers nationwide. He noted that the government had provided 20 trucks of grains to each state governor for distribution to the most vulnerable citizens.
"In the first instance, about 10 trucks have been made available to each of these states; indeed, this is just the beginning. I know that some of the comments you hear is 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," Idris said.
He also expressed optimism that the prices of food items would decrease with the onset of the rainy season and ongoing investments in agricultural production and irrigation activities across the country.
Idris cited additional government efforts, including the student loan scheme and the anticipated disbursement of CNG kits, as part of broader measures to ease the cost of living. He acknowledged unavoidable logistical challenges causing delays in the rollout of CNG buses but assured that steps were being taken to address these issues.
Meanwhile, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo highlighted the significant progress made by the 13-month-old administration, emphasizing the importance of removing the fuel subsidy to address long-term issues in Nigeria’s energy sector. He noted that new policies promoting local trade in crude oil and refined products would attract investments, create jobs, and enhance Nigeria’s energy independence. Tunji-Ojo also pointed out the unification of exchange rates as a factor in improving economic predictability, fostering foreign direct investment, and supporting local government autonomy.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, addressing journalists after the signing of the minimum wage bill, warned against anarchy and emphasized the importance of peaceful protests. "You have a right to protest. But you don’t have a right to destabilise the country. The right to protest should not be turned into the right to unleash violence. It’s very clear that people who are behind this are very amorphous, very faceless. So what it means is people are preparing to loot and go around and do all sorts of things," Akpabio stated.
He appealed to Nigerian youth not to be misled politically, stressing that any destruction of property would cost Nigeria money that could be better spent on development projects. "Where we are today was not caused by one year’s administration. It is the outcome of years of insecurity. So my appeal to the Nigerian youth is do not allow any group to mislead you politically. People who probably do not have their fortunes in 2023 election are thinking they can come through the back door and that will amount to anarchy. Any destruction of any property will cause Nigeria money. We don’t have the money. Instead, let’s put the money in developing you and developing your environ instead of going to rebuild," Akpabio concluded.
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