Hardship: Gov Buni Holds Emergency Meeting, Rolls Out Measures Against Hoarding, Others

Concerned with the prevailing rise in the prices of grains and other essential commodities across the state and the country, the Yobe State governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni has convened an emergency meeting during the weekend to deliberate on the issue for onward solutions.

A communiqué issued and signed by the commissioner of Home Affairs, Information and Culture, Hon Abdullahi Bego said the state government has during the meeting decried the practice of hoarding grains and other essential commodities with a view to creating artificial scarcity and hiking the prices of such grains and other essential commodities in the state.

The meeting according to the communiqué has after extensive deliberation on the prevailing cost of living crisis across the state and the country resolved that “To stem the tide of food scarcity and high cost of grains and other food items resulting from bulk purchases from Yobe’s grain markets by people who take those grains outside our nation’s borders, the State Government has liaised with security agencies to discourage practices.

“The state government has also taken measures to stop the hoarding of grains and other essential commodities by businessmen and middlemen.

“To this end, bulk purchase of grains from Yobe’s markets will be closely monitored by security agencies to prevent and stop hoarding. The purchase and transportation of large quantities of grains outside the state will be similarly monitored to ensure that speculators and hoarders do not take advantage of Yobe’s markets to cause artificial scarcity and deepen food insecurity in the country.

“The Yobe State government will roll out concrete measures very soon to cushion the effects of the rising cost of foodstuff and other essential commodities for people across the state.

“A broad meeting of stakeholders will be similarly convened immediately in each local government area to further discuss the food security situation in the respective local government councils in order to generate workable ideas for how to address the challenges.”

Governor Buni called on the people across the state to continue to offer prayers and supplications for Almighty Allah’s intervention on the current challenges in the country.