The Federal Government has begun the distribution of assorted food commodities to vulnerable people in Taraba.
Alhaji Mohammed Sambo, Minister of Transportation, inaugurated the exercise at an emergency release of the commodities to the vulnerable in Taraba on Tuesday.
He stated that the prices of food commodities had skyrocketed in recent times.
Sambo noted that the trend was a global challenge and Nigeria was not an exception to the phenomenon.
According to him, the initiative was to impact Nigerians across the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT.
The minister said the programme was part of the Federal Government’s efforts at ensuring food security and poverty alleviation, as well as cushioning the effects of rising prices of food items.
He also said the well-being of Nigerians had always been and would continue to be President Buhari’s priority.
He, however, warned that the commodities were being approved for distribution free of charge.
He, therefore, warned that it was criminal to sell them, bearing in mind Mr. President’s goal of uplifting the life of the common man.
“The World Bank’s food commodity price index shows that between March and April, the price of food commodities globally went up by 15 per cent over the previous two months and more than 80 per cent higher than two years ago.
” The factors responsible include but are not limited to climate change, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest, recurrent farmer-herders crises, mass rural-urban migration, declining food production, and strain on the demand-supply chain.
“In the light of the foregoing and in tandem with one of the nine-point agenda of this administration which is social inclusion, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the emergency release of assorted food commodities from the National Strategic Reserve Stock.
“This is to be distributed to the displaced and the vulnerable in our society, poultry
associations of Nigeria and feed millers.”
The minister inaugurated a six-man committee for the distribution of the items to the targeted beneficiaries.
Earlier, Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku commended President Buhari for the elevation of Sambo from a junior minister to a substantive office.
Represented by Mr Anthony Jellason, Secretary to the Government of Taraba, Ishaku also commended the president for the release of the items to the vulnerables in the state.
Ishaku said that the gesture would cushion the effect of food shortage and cost of food in the market.
In his goodwill message, Alhaji Abas Tafida, Emir of Muri, advised the people of Taraba to invest more in farming.
Tafida noted that a productive economy was better than a consuming economy, adding that Taraba people had no business complaining of hunger and Poverty.
He gave the assurance that the minister would not fail the president for his kind gesture to the people of the state.
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