Politics
Senate urges FG to urgently tackle impending food insecurity
By Francesca Hangeior
The Senate has urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, initiate measures to tackle the impending food insecurity in the country.
It also urged the government to outline the measures implemented to combat the situation and to address Nigerians concerns regarding it.
The Senate’s resolution followed adoption of a motion on the urgent need to address food insecurity and market exploitation of consumables in Nigeria at plenary.
Leading the debate, Karimi said that in the last few months, the price of goods and household consumables in Nigeria had been at an all-time high.
This, he said, was leading to a high rate of inflation, weakening purchasing power, and affecting the living conditions of vast majority of Nigerians.
He said the latest data by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that food inflation in the country skyrocketed to 40.66 per cent on a year-on-year basis, representing a significant increase from the 24.82 per cent recorded in May 2023.
Karimi said the current market price of food items such as beans, maize, rice paddy, yam, tomatoes, and onions, which initially rose by about 40 per cent after removal of petroleum subsidy had increased to between 100 per cent and 300 per cent with no attributable reason for the increase in prices.
He said insecurity in food-producing regions, bad roads, increase in cost of transportation, and depreciation of the value of the naira had been identified as possible factors contributing to increase in price of food items and other consumables.
He, however, said that greater percentage of the increase in prices of food items and consumables were not only responsible for the factors but rather the greed of merchants, traders, and retailers to make supernormal profits.
“Note that there is a general attitude of get rich quickly or get rich by all means.
“This is leading many Nigerians to jettison being their brother’s keeper and exploiting one another to make abnormal profits.
“This attitude has been justified on the basis that many members of the political class, technocrats, and corporate elites have helped themselves with public funds without any repercussions in Law.
”Nigerian traders have thus resorted to price overcharging to maximise profits.”
He said there were reports that the farming communities in the border regions with other countries, preferred to sell their food items abroad to neighbouring countries, thus increasing local food insecurity.
He expressed worry that efforts made by the government to arrest consistent increase in food inflation was yet to yield the desired results.
Karimi said there was a need to be more pragmatic about addressing food insecurity, curb herder-farmer crises, kidnapping for ransom, and terrorism.
This, he said, will ensure development of a viable national commodity board to regulate price of grains.
He said efforts should be made to ensure elimination of artificial contributions to food and commodity inflation in Nigeria.
Sen.Ali Ndume (APC–Borno), who seconded the motion said recent reports indicated that Nigeria might face food insecurity, adding that people were hungry as many farmers no longer had access to their farms because of insecurity.
He said the lawmakers needed to take urgent steps as representatives of the people as prices of food were on the high side.
In his contribution, Sen. Ahmed Lawan (APC-Yobe) lamented that Nigerians now struggle to have just a meal a day.
According to him, the silos are empty, meaning that the federal government would have to make frantic efforts to import food.
He said the national assembly must engage the executive to take immediate steps to avert the looming food insecurity.
Sen. Ahmed Wadada (SDP-Nasarawa), however, commended the federal government for the recent decision to relax import duties and taxes on food items to be imported into the country.
He said the issue of food prices was a serious matter, adding that Nigerians were patient people.
He urged lawmakers to do whatever was required at their various levels to add value to food production in the country.
President of Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said food issues increased when farmers were denied access to their farmlands due to the activities of bandits.
He said the abandonment of farms by farmers due to insecurity had been a long-standing, worrisome matter for far too long a time.
He urged the government to encourage farmers and farming activities, especially during this period.
Akpabio said he was informed by Committee Chairman on Agriculture that the federal government had provided 60 trucks of fertiliser to each state.
According to him, senators and House of Representatives members will receive between one and two trucks for onward distribution to their constituencies.
This, he said, was to ensure farming for improved production of food by Nigerians involved in agriculture.
He said efforts must be made to improve farming activities while also commending the federal government for looking in the direction of tax and duty exemptions for imported food items into Nigeria.
Politics
Obi Urges Nigerian Graduates to Seek Opportunities Overseas if Needed, Vows to Fix Nigeria for Their Return
Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 election, has encouraged Nigerian students to seek better opportunities abroad if local conditions don’t meet their needs.
Obi shared this advice during his visit to Anambra State, where he made donations to Peter University in Achina/Onneh and the College of Nursing Sciences in Adazi-Nnukwu. Addressing nursing students, he reaffirmed his commitment to supporting institutions that nurture skills, professionalism, and character.
Obi advised students that, if career opportunities are limited locally, they should feel free to explore options abroad.
“If things aren’t working here, go where they will work for you,” he said, expressing optimism that, with efforts to improve the country, Nigerians working abroad would eventually return.
Speaking at Peter University, Obi urged students to dedicate themselves to their studies, highlighting education as a transformative force essential for national development.
Emphasizing that investment in education is an investment in the future, he encouraged them to aim for excellence, assuring that a stronger Nigeria would await them.
Governor Alex Otti of Abia State at the weekend played host to the former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, at his Nvosi country home in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area(LGA).
Speaker of the House of Assembly Emmanuel Emeruwa, some aides of the governor, and members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement were present.
Although Kwankwaso said he was in the state to condole with Otti on the passing of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, the first governor of old Abia State, rumours of a possible political alliance between him and Otti, the only Labour Party(LP) governor in the country, spread.
Onu was buried in Uburu, his hometown in Ohaozara LGA of Ebonyi State on Friday.
Kwankwaso’s visit coincided with a reception held by the governor for 15 Abia indigenes who recently graduated from the Nigeria Police Academy in Kano.
Shortly after he departed the state, political analysts said they were sure that the visit was partly informed by efforts of the Peter Obi-led LP faction to align with other opposition parties ahead of 2027.
‘’Don’t forget that 2027 is near. Do you think the two men would meet like they did now with talking about the next presidential election? That is impossible,’’ one of them told The Nation.
Another said Kwankwaso and Otti were ‘’very much aware that the only way to oust President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progress Congress (APC) from the centre is a formidable alliance.
‘’They know that now is the best time to start talking about how to defeat those in Aso Rock. And that, I believe is the core reason for the visit.”
Last month’s local government poll in the state produced a stunning result with candidates loyal to Otti winning nearly all the chairmanship positions on the platform of the Zenith Labour Party(ZLP)
The governor backed the winners because of court cases on the authentic leadership of the leadership of the LP.
One faction of the party is led by Julius Abure while the other supported by Obi and Otti is headed by Nenadi Usman, a former Finance minister.
Political analysts argued that if Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Obi, and Kwankwaso fail to put their political differences behind and field an acceptable presidential candidate in 2027, they might end up not making a significant impact.
Otti had while welcoming Kwankwaso recalled how he offered him a ‘’platform in May 2022 to run ’’ as a governorship candidate.
He thanked Kwankwaso for his guidance and patriotism.
His words: “Thank you for your guidance, for your patriotism, for everything that you have done for this country.
“I want to thank you for encouraging me in 2022 not to lose faith, though we were in different parties, and it appeared as if everything was going to be lost.
“That call that you made about the 20th of May 2022, for also making your platform available for me to run if I had wanted to use the platform, the rest is now history.”
Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor, congratulated Otti on his emergence as governor. He also lauded his achievements in the state
“For the little time I have been here, I have had the opportunity of talking to a few people who confirmed to me that you are doing very well. We have seen your project everywhere” he said.
The governor and his visitor urged the new Police officers to work hard, contribute to the security of the country, and be good ambassadors of the state.
“The challenge is for you to now work very hard, knowing fully well that in this society, the son of a nobody can be the father of somebody,” said Otti.
“If people like us who grew up here without any hope at that time can be here, there is no reason why you can’t get here. But I am challenging you to be the best you can be.
“Always do things right and do the right things. You can always get to where you are headed. Cutting corners does not take you too far, “ the governor added.
Kwankwaso charged the new police officers to be professional in the discharge of their duties.
“Let me take this opportunity, based on my experience, to advise you to first and foremost fear God.
“Two, you need to be professionals. Now you are fresh, just coming out of the prestigious institute.stay there as professionals,” he said.
MASSIVE Empowerment: Senator Manu embarks another ICT training Taraba Central (Video)
Pope Francis kicks as Russian invades Ukraine
Why I turned down Range Rover gift from my admirer -Tiwa Savage
Just in: Terrorists ambush military truck, kill all soldiers on board
Nigerian Dancer, Korra Obidi Attacked with acid, stabbed on stage In UK
Meet Rare Gem 16 Years Old Chiaza, CEO of ‘RUN MARKET PLACE’
-
News22 hours agoTinubu writes National Assembly, makes fresh request
-
News24 hours agoPresident hospitalised after falling ill at G20 Summit
-
News22 hours agoSEE NAIRA Rates Against The USD, GBP, EURO At The Parallel Market Today November 19, 2024
-
News22 hours agoDOUBLE TRAGEDY: Son of ex-NIA DG dies hours after father’s passage
-
News11 hours agoHow security taskforce of Man ‘O War stopped sch kids from embarking on violent clash in Ibadan
-
News22 hours agoN122m fraud. Ex-Polaris manager to relax in prison pending court verdict
-
News11 hours agoCBN warns Nigerians over rising fraudulent foreign currency transfer claims
-
News11 hours agoNigerian Army Reacts as Major General Brutally Assaults Man in Viral Video