Niger State governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago has disclosed that the government would roll out 1,000 trucks of assorted grains to be sold at subsidised rates across the 25 local government areas to provide succour to residents for the Ramadan Season.
He stated this during a stakeholders’ engagement to strategize on how best to reduce the prices of food for people during the Ramdan season at the Government House Minna.
Bago said that the state government through the private sector initiative Niger Foods have harvested millions of tons of food that is enough to feed the state.
He said each local government area would be given 10 trucks of food every 10 days of Ramadan to be sold at subsidized market price while additional 500 trucks of assorted grains are to be given out free to the vulnerable ones in the society.
He announced that two committees are to be set up across the 25 local government areas, explaining that while one committee will be made up of members from the formal sectors to coordinate the sales to civil servants, the other committee will be for the informal sector to capture religious leaders, traditional leaders and marketers for sales to other residents of the state.
The governor also stated that the sales of grains at subsidized market rates would be done on a quarterly basis to ensure that the masses get to buy food at affordable rates.
He disclosed that the state government has realised N50 billion from agriculture and livestock hence the need for the people to venture into agriculture considering its enormous potentials.
Bago also disclosed that the state government has saved N5 billion which is being used to build hospitals for the people and therefore called on all those entrusted with the sales and sharing of the grains to fear Allah in their dealings even as he warned that defaulters will not be spared.
The stakeholdersā engagement involved members of the Imam Forum, NLC leadership, local government council chairmen, secretaries of the eight emirates and the representatives of the All Progressives Congress and market associations.
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