Yobe State governor, Hon Mai Mala Buni has inaugurated a 24-member Committee on Food Security as a result of food scarcity leading to escalation of food prices.
The governor, represented by his deputy, Hon Idi Barde Gubana said the state government is very worried and is taking a bold step to address the issue by ensuring the availability and affordability of food stuff across the state.
He further explained that the government cannot allow such negative development to continue unchecked.
According to him, it was realised that marketers were hoarding the essential commodities in their warehouses so as to create artificial scarcity of the much-needed food stuff.
The governor noted that Nigeria is grappling with the consequences of oil subsidy withdrawal, inflation, unfavourable foreign exchange rate which is seeing the declining of Naira in favour of dollar and other economic challenges.
The committee is expected to coordinate/ cooperate with security agencies to halt the export of grains outside the state and address the problem of hoarding of grains within the state; ensure the sale of procured grains to the public at the subsidized price as well as ensure establishment of similar committees at the local government levels to address the problem of food insecurity in the state.
He maintained that some unscrupulous elements were trying to undermine the peace being enjoyed by the people by causing additional hardship to the masses through unnecessary bulk purchase and hoarding of staple food items.
He also urged the committee, headed by the deputy governor, to increase their zeal in conducting the assignment as the task given to them has enormous moral responsibility to fulfil.
