President Muhammadu Buhari has met with members of National Food Security Council (NFSC) in the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja on Thursday, September 10.
The meeting, which is being attended by six out of the seven governor-members, also has ministers and other senior government functionaries in attendance.
Although the Chairman of the Council, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), is not attending the meeting, as he is chairing another meeting within the State House, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd) were in attendance.
Governors at the event include Alhaji Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, who is also the Vice Chairman of the Council; Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos; Alhaja Mohammed Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa; Simon Lalong of Plateau; Darius Ishaku of Taraba; and Dave Umahi of Ebonyi.
Among ministers in attendance are those of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr Zainab Ahmed; Trade, Industry and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sani Nanono; Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq; and Water Resources, Engr Suleiman Adamu.
Other senior officials present are the Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi; the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar; and the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd), were also in attendance.
Delivering an opening remark at the Council’s meeting, Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Gambari, observed that the general concerns over rising prices of food grains had been allayed by operators of the markets, who had informed the Council that the prices are declining already.
According to him, the most prevailing concern among the market leaders are the need for better coordination, synergy and cooperation across the sector, the lack of which that had claimed were responsible for the widespread misinformation and nationwide speculation.
He stated;
Yesterday, my office as the secretariat National Food Security Council, met with the all agricultural commodity association, to ascertain the root causes of the recent spike in food prices and craft mitigating strategies to what could be a potential crisis.
Gambari stated;
Although various concerns were raised of the root cause of increase in commodity cost, we have been informed that prices are actually on the decline as new grains have been introduced to the market.
The Chief of Staff expressed;
However, it is important to note that the most prevailing concern of the various leaders of the agricultural commodity association was their demand that there should be better coordination, synergy and cooperation across the sector, this has largely accounted for the gross misinformation and nationwide speculation which is being experienced.
