The Yobe State government has established a 24-member committee on food security to confront food scarcity and alleviate the hardships faced by citizens.
The committee’s primary objectives include halting the export of grains to foreign countries and addressing issues related to hoarding essential commodities within the state.
During the committee’s inauguration, Governor Mai Mala Buni highlighted the ongoing challenges facing the nation, such as the withdrawal of oil subsidies, inflation, and unfavourable foreign exchange rates.
He expressed concern that some individuals are exploiting these challenges by engaging in unnecessary bulk purchases and hoarding of essential food items, thereby exacerbating the suffering of the people.
Governor Buni emphasized that such actions contradict universal principles of fairness and are contrary to the state’s moral values and norms.
“The Committee has the following as its terms of reference:-
“Coordinate with security agencies to halt export of grains outside the country and address the problem of hoarding of grains within the State.
“Sale of procured grains to the public at subsidized prices.
“Ensure the establishment of similar committees at the Local levels to address the problem of food insecurity in the State.
“Advise and give suggestions to the government or any other measures that are necessary to address the problem of food insecurity in the state”, he said.
Buni, who admitted that the responsibilities of the high-powered committee are indeed very large, appealed to members of the public to cooperate with the committee by providing vital information to address the menace of food insecurity in the state.
“As for the committee members, I enjoin them to quickly swing into action as delay may hamper public interest”, he directed.