–Mulls importation of food items

….vows to go after hoarders of foodstuff

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

THE Federal Government has ordered the immediate release of 102,000 metric tonnes of rice and maize.

This is just as the government has proposed to embark on importation of whatever shortfalls in food items that may be experienced In order to augment locally available where necessary.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after the meeting of the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said the President has directed that food will be made available, no matter whatever it will take.

The decision came after a three days deliberation by the committee, in reaction to the protests by Nigerians over high cost of food and other economic challenges.

The Minister also said the government will mete out appropriate measures on food hoarders adding that emergency situations requires emergency measures to ensure food is available to Nigerians.

The Minister of Information called on Nigerians to be patriotic and desist from hoarding food while the government deliberately invest massively in food production.