…Say Tinubu’s Govt Has No Plan To Contain Acute Food Shortage

…Insist APC Govt Lacks Ideas To Rescue Nigeria At This Critical Time

LAGOS  – Chief Emeka Charles Kalu, an Engineer and President, Eck Founda­tion, has carpeted Pres­ident Bola Ahmed Tinubu for failing to respond appropriately to the emerging food crisis in the country.

Dr. Kalu expressed disappoint­ment that despite the depth of poverty threatening Nigeria at this critical time and the Federal Government’s awareness of this, nothing has been done to urgent­ly address the situation.

The international business­man, who spoke to Sunday In­dependent, said that so far only Lagos, Rivers and Edo states have tried to step up salary increase for their workers to enable them cope with the current economic hard­ship in the country.

Kalu, also a People’s Demo­cratic Party (PDP) chieftain, said: “The entire national economic structures have crumbled to the point that the citizens’ per capita income cannot provide for their daily needs.

“On the side of the Federal Government, it has been sitting on the fence with no defined modalities on how to tackle the prevailing economic crisis in the land.

“The national minimum wage negotiation, according to reports from the desk of the Minister of Information and National Ori­entation, Idris Muhammed , has been stepped down as a result of the inability of the Tripartite Committee to conclude discus­sions, harmonisation and the likes before they are communi­cated to the National Assembly for deliberations.

“Moreover, the Organised La­bour has distanced themselves from any report (s) being parad­ed to be their resolutions with the government without their direct approval.

“This, among others, tells you the government’s reluctance in holistically addressing the plights of Nigeria workers.

“According to the last reports on the minimum wage negoti­ations , the Organised Labour pegged it at N250, 000, while the government insisted on paying N62,000 monthly , which in any way, is not friendly with the pres­ent economic realities facing the masses.

“In my findings, a kilogram of tomato fruits in the market is sold at N6,350, a cup of rice sold at N450 as against N120, with no means of income for the citizens to sustain such a hike in food prices.

“Honestly, Nigerians are truly undergoing untold hardship, ex­tremely pauperised with no hope for a better tomorrow as the gov­ernment continues to play to the gallery in its commitment to nip the tense situation in the bud.”

Chief Kalu, in his recommen­dation, stated: “Basic infrastruc­tures remain the foundation upon which a strong economy is built and the government is expected to prioritise developing this sec­tor of the economy to industri­alise the country.

“I also recommend that the government, through interven­tion, relief s and social welfare schemes, should give grants to the citizens to enable them to boost their businesses and in­vestments.

“Also, the governments should be giving macro economic em­powerment to farmers through injecting huge funds into Small, Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and painstakingly disbursing the same for the benefits of farmers.

“The governments should also provide human and food securi­ty across the nation, especially in volatile and crisis-ridden ar­eas where farmers intermittently clash with cattle herders.

“The National Assembly should enact laws prohibiting open grazing by developing mechanised animal husbandry systems via ranching and other secure methods of pasturing.”

Barrister Titilope Ani­fowoshe, a Kwara-based lawyer, a strategist and business person­ality, said: “The federal and state governments are making efforts to address rising food costs, as seen in initiatives like the South West government’s land clearing for farming and Niger State’s ag­ricultural revolution project.

“However, these efforts need to produce tangible results which will be felt by the average Nigeri­an. Food inflation remains high, with an average annual rate of 32.74% as of April 2024, up from 23.22%, the previous year.

“To effectively tackle this is­sue, the government should focus on improving security to ensure safe farming, promote subsis­tence farming at the grassroots level, and educate people through schools, religious institutions, and media.

“Additionally, providing seeds to both farmers and the general population and collaborating with research institutions and private agri-tech companies to offer advanced farming technolo­gies and machinery at subsidised rates can help increase food sup­ply and reduce prices.”

Julius Adegunna, a La­gos-based media executive, said: “Personally, I don’t believe the government alone should be blamed for the rising costs of food in Nigeria.

“The people, the vendors, dis­tributors between producers and consumers are part of the blame. Nigerians cannot totally absolve themselves from blame.

“The governments, Federal, States and Local Governments, should provide the enabling environment, encourage food production and ensure smooth distribution to the consumers.

“The vendors must also humbly ensure indiscriminate increase in prices, while the people, the ultimate consumers, should also take up the challenge of producing food items, starting from subsistence to commercial level.

“These may reduce demands in the open market and increase supplies, only if the greed of Ni­gerians can be controlled.

“It will take the efforts of the governments, food distributors and consumers to ensure price stabilisation in the food market.”

Hon. Charles Anike, an Abu­ja-based businessman and polit­ical activist, said: “The food scar­city and high cost of food items currently being experienced across the country, have become endemic and scandalous without any genuine efforts by the vari­ous governments to address it.”

Anike, National President of Eastern Union (EU), a political pressure group, stated: “The truth is that both the federal and state governments lack truth and have not shown any genuine con­cerns towards finding a lasting solution.

“The costs of food items have gone beyond the reach of the common man, to the extent that only very few families can boast of a meal daily.

“The reason for the rising costs of food items in particular is not far-fetched. The major rea­son can be traced to increasing criminal activities of the Fulani herdsmen, and that accounts largely for the hardships across the country.

“The Fulani herders are not only destroying farmers’ crops, but they have overtime expanded their notorious activities to kid­napping of farmers for ransom.

“In some states farmers are subjected to different kinds of taxation and extortion by the terrorists.”

“Our recommendation is that both the federal and state govern­ments should be realistic in the fight against all kinds of terror­ism going on presently across the country.

“Nigerians are capable of producing more than enough food for the citizens, if security is genuinely guaranteed.

“Also, the Federal Govern­ment should swallow its empty pride and revisit the issue of fuel subsidy removal.”

Professor John Ebhomien, an economist and financial expert, in his view, said the Federal and state governments are over­whelmed over food inflation in the country due to insecurity and other socio-economic challenges which seriously affected the ris­ing costs of foods in the markets.

Prof. Ebhomien, a World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) economist, main­tained that though the Federal Government had made signifi­cant efforts to reduce hunger in the land, the state governments appeared indifferent.

Ebhomien, an All Progres­sives Congress (APC) chieftain, stated “This nonchalant attitude of the state governments must stop.

“They must cooperate with the Federal Government to provide solutions to the rising costs of food and hunger in our country.

“Sincerely speaking, I would recommend the governments at all levels to take the following urgent actions: open the borders for importers to bring in foods, waive import duties on essential food items, provide adequate se­curity for our farmers, provide soft loans for agri-business, and establish food banks in all the states and local governments.

“They should declare a state of emergency on food. More importantly the government at all levels should establish food price control and intelligence agencies.”

Bishop Dr Herbert Ekechuk­wu, a cleric and economist, in adding his voice, recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government claimed that they had put adequate measures to curb high cost of food in the market.

According to him, “These measures include declaring a state of emergency on food pro­duction.

“All matters pertaining to food and water availability and affordability as essential liveli­hood items be included within the purview of the National Se­curity Council (NSC).

“The Federal Government also claimed to have deployed some savings from the fuel sub­sidy removal into agriculture.

“It said it had released fer­tilisers and grains to farmers and households to mitigate the effects of the subsidy removal.

“The Governments also said it would create and support com­modity boards; engage security architecture to farmers and their farms.

“The government also said it would continue the Central Bank’s funding on the agricul­tural value chain while it said there would be activation of land banks.”