President Bola Tinubu, the 36 state governors and the Minister, Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike reached some key resolutions to stemming challenges facing the nation.
In the meeting held at the State House in Abuja on Thursday was also Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The meeting was necessitated by the rising price of food items and insecurity, and delayed/non-payment of salaries and gratuities owed workers, retirees and pensioners, amongst others.
This was stated in a tweet posted on X by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Onanuga stated that “the meeting agreed on common ground to address some of the challenges currently facing the country especially the rising cost of food and insecurity.
“After extensive deliberations, the President and Governors agreed to work together to solve the problems and tackle the economic pressure being faced by the citizens.”
Below are the key takeaways from the meeting:
- On addressing insecurity which is also affecting farming and food production, President Tinubu made three key pronouncements.
- On the rising cost of food: The President directed that the State Governments and Federal government should collaborate to increase local food production.
The President advised against the idea of food importation and price control when local food producers should be encouraged to produce more food.
- The President advised Governors to follow the example of Kano State in dealing with the hoarding of food for profiteering by commodities merchants.
He directed the Inspector-General of Police, National Security Adviser and Department of State Security Services to monitor warehouses hoarding food items across the country and stop profiteering by merchants.
- The President charged Governors to pay attention to livestock development in their states and increase production most especially poultry and fishing products.
- The President pleaded with Governors to ensure all salary arrears to workers and gratuities to retired workers and pensioners are cleared as a way to put money into the hands of the people since states are now getting more monthly FAAC revenue.
- President Tinubu implored the Governors to create more economic opportunities for the youths in their states to keep them more productively engaged.
Idris addresses the press
Straightnews gathered that government policies such as the removal of petrol subsidy have led to over 200 per cent rise in the price of commodities without any corresponding increase in wages across the country.
While the cost of living crisis persists, Nigerians also grapple with the worsening security situation that has seen almost daily cases of killings and kidnappings across the country.
The meeting also rejected the proposal by some Nigerians for massive importation of food to at least reduce the prices of basic food items.
“…a decision has also been taken that in the interest of our country, there will be no need for food importation at this point,” Information Minister Mohammed Idris told journalists after the meeting.
In recent years, food prices have been on the rise across Nigeria. The situation became more complex after President Bola Tinubu announced the end of fuel subsidy payments during his inauguration as president on 29 May 2023.
The upward trend in the prices of these staples as well as other products has weakened the purchasing power of many citizens, making it difficult for many households in the country to afford daily meals.
On Thursday, Mr Idris said Nigeria has the potential to feed itself and even be a net exporter of food items to other countries.
“And we do not also want to reverse some of the progress we have seen in terms of food production in this country. What we’re seeing now is just a temporary difficulty that will soon go away. Therefore, the solution to it is by continuous investment in agriculture so that food can be made available to all Nigerians,” he said.
He added that part of the measures that Mr Tinubu has taken is to ensure that more investments are made in the agricultural sector for the benefit of the people.
“The governors have also agreed to join hands with Mr President to deepen their own investment in the agricultural sector so that more food will be made available to Nigerians. This investment is not just in crop production, it is also in livestock development and management.
“All these is to ensure that food is available,” he added.
Mr Idris said the National Security Adviser, the Director General of the state services, and the Inspector General of Police have been directed to coordinate with the state governors to look at the issue of those hoarding commodities.
“At this point, the nation requires foods to be brought out to the people so that we can control prices and put food on the table of most Nigerians, other commodity traders are busy hoarding these commodities so that Nigerians will suffer or they will make more money as a result.
“So the governors and Mr President have taken this decision that security agencies will collaborate with the state governors to ensure that this ends,” he said.
Things are not okay in Nigeria- Sultan warns
Meanwhile, the monarchs from the North, headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, expressed to the FG their worry that the suffering, insecurity, impoverishment, and unemployment experienced in Nigeria, especially in the North, has escalated to a point where the people are becoming difficult to keep from revolting.
Addressing participants at the Arewa House in Kaduna yesterday, during the 6th executive Northern Traditional Council Committee meeting, the Sultan conveyed to the government that the traditional rulers, religious leaders, and state governors have been calming the general public, including the unemployed youth, in order to prevent any form of uprising against the political leaders currently in power.
According to him, “It is getting to a level that traditional leaders could no longer pacify the people from revolting against government and political leaders that supposed to find solutions to their lingering socioeconomic plight.
“And let’s not take it for granted; people are quiet, they are quiet for a reason, because people have been talking to them. We have been talking to them, we have been trying to tell them that things will be okay and they keep on believing.
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“I pray to Almighty Allah that they will not one day wake up and say we no longer believe in you that would be the biggest problem. We can’t continue to keep these people quiet as traditional, spiritual leaders and diplomats forever.
“We have reached that level, people are very agitated, people are hungry, they are angry, but they still believe there are people who can talk to them. They believe in some of their Governors, some other traditional rulers and some of their religious leaders, fortunately some of us double as traditional and religious leaders.
“So, we have this onerous task of reaching out to everybody, calm them down and assure them that things would be okay. And that they should continue to pray and still do something good because prayer without work will not bring anything good.
“To make matters worse, we are faced with rising level of poverty of most of our people. They lack normal sources of livelihood by the common man to have even a good meal a day.
“But I believe talking about insecurity and the rising level of poverty are two issues that we cannot fold our arms and think everything is fine. I have said it so many times and at so many fora that things are not alright in Nigeria. Of course, things are not okay in the North.
“What are the real issues bringing about poverty and rising cases of insecurity? I don’t think it is the issue of new government. To me, this government is a continuation of the former government. It is the same party. So, what really is the problem? I think that is one of the reasons we are here to talk to ourselves.’’
