Buhari Orders Minister to ……. (Details)

Buhari Orders Minister to ……. (Details)

President Muhammadu Buhari has mandated the Minister of Agriculture, Mohammad Abubakar, to immediately release grains to cushion the effect of the rising food prices, especially during the Easter and Ramadan period.

Briefing newsmen after he met with the president, Abubakar said over 40 metric tonnes of grains would be released from the Strategic Grains Reserves (SGR).

He said the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development would facilitate the distribution of 12,000 metric tonnes of the various grains.

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He said: “I’m here this afternoon as a result of summoning by President Muhammadu Buhari. He actually directed and approved the release of grains from our Strategic Grain Reserves by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

“This is to cushion the effect of some of the issues we are facing with high prices of commodities across the country and also to cushion these festivities; Ramadan, Easter, Salah so that there will be a little cushion for the people during these festivities.”

On the quantity of grains approved for distribution, he said 12,000 tonnes would be released, in the first trance, to the Humanitarian Ministry and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development would continue.

“So, I think in all, there should be over 40,000 metric tonnes that will be released as we start the release of the grains,” he said. He said that the assorted grains to be distributed are sorghum, maize and millet, among others.

The minister explained that the same process deployed during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, to distribute 70,000 metric tonnes of assorted food items across some states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would be adopted.

On the list of people to benefit from the grains, he said, “If you remember very well, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. President also directed and approved the release of grains, the grains were released and distributed.

“So, those structures of distribution, both from the Humanitarian and the Ministry of Agriculture, are the same structures that we used. However, whatever you do, you take a look, is there any area for improvement? Is there any area that you can change, or restructure? We’ll consider that and distribute the grains as has been done in the past.”