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Food scarcity, insecurity: FG orders release of grains, may begin import as governors meet NSA, DSS
In response to the complaints and protests rocking some parts of the country, the federal government, Thursday directed the immediate release of 102,000 metric tonnes of rice, maize, millet, and garri from government reserves and stores of rice millers to the Nigerian market.
The government took the measure after a three-day meeting of the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention, headed by Chief of Staff to the President, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, at State House, Abuja.
The government said it would henceforth clampdown on hoarders of food items in the country, stressing that it may import commodities as a last resort in efforts to address the current shortages.
Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) also met, yesterday, with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and the representative of Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, on how to address the recent national concerns.
On his part, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, acknowledged the current anxieties bordering on the state of the economy, security, and other issues, and assuring of doubled efforts to address them.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting at State House, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said while the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security would make available 42,000 metric tonnes of maize, millet, garri, and other commodities, the rice millers, through their association, would release 62,000 metric tonnes of rice from their reserves.
Idris stated, “Today’s meeting was, again, on the issue of difficulty of putting food on the table of most Nigerians, and has come up with a number of measures to ensure that food becomes more readily available to Nigerians.
“The first one is that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has been directed to immediately release about 42,000 metric tons of maize, millet, garri and other commodities in their strategic reserve so that these items will be made available to Nigerians.“The second one is that we have held meetings with the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria, those who are responsible for producing this rice, and we have asked them to open up their stores.“They’ve told us that they can guarantee about 60,000 metric tons of rice. This will be made available and we know that is enough to take Nigerians for the next one month to six weeks, perhaps, up to two months. They’ve agreed that they will make that available to Nigerians to bring it out to the market so that food can be made available.
“Now, the whole idea of this is to crash the cost of these food items. And these are measures that will happen immediately.
42,000 metric tons from the strategic government reserve, about 60,000 metric tons of rice from the rice millers association, they have them in all their storage facilities and government, in conjunction with them, after this exhaustive meeting, has directed that they also bring this out immediately so that the price of rice will come down significantly.
”The minister disclosed that as a last resort government might import commodities to augment available supplies,” he stated.
News
Fubara to commission 10 completed projects
Rivers State Government will from Monday, August 17, begin the commissioning of 10 major people-oriented projects across the state as part of efforts by Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s administration to deepen development at the grassroots.
The commissioning programme, which will run through August 31, will cover projects across several local government areas, include roads, bridges, healthcare facilities, educational infrastructure and other public facilities.
The Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr Dagogo Wokoma, disclosed this on Friday during a media briefing in Port Harcourt.
According to Dr Wokoma, the projects are tangible evidence of the Governor’s commitment to transforming communities and addressing the developmental needs of residents across the state.
A statement by Juliana Masi, Head, Information and Public Relations Unit, office of the Secretary to the State Government, said that Dr. Wokoma disclosed that the commissioning will commence on August 17 with the Buguma-Degema-Abonnema Road, which links communities in Asari-Toru, Degema and Akuku-Toru Local Government Areas.
The Egwi-Afara-Mba Road in Etche Local Government Area will be commissioned on August 18, followed by the Capt. Elechi Amadi Polytechnic’s Entrepreneurship Centre/Engineering Faculty Building on August 19.
The statement which was shared by Onwuka Nzechi, Chief Press Secretary to the River State Governor also stated that on August 20, the Governor will commission the Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Dual Carriage Way in Ikwerre/Emohua/Onelga Local Government Areas, while the Omoku Zonal Hospital, Omoku in ONELGA, will be commissioned on August 21st.
The commissioning programme will resume on August 24 with the Omademe Internal Roads in Ikwerre LGA and attention will shift to Port Harcourt LGA on August 25 for the Commissioning of the New Runway at the Air Force Base, Rumuola.
On August 26, attention will shift to Emuoha LGA for the commissing of the Agba Ndele Road and Bridge while two major health facilities — the Neuro Psychiatric Hospital and New General Hospital, Rumuigbo, both in Obio/Akpor — are scheduled for commissioning on August 27.
The 10-day programme will end on August 28 with the commissioning of the Bonny National Grammar School in Bonny Local Government Area.
Dr. Wokoma said the projects reflected the administration’s determination to ensure that government policies and programmes affect citizens positively.
“These projects scheduled for commissioning are tangible evidence of His Excellency’s unwavering dedication to transform our communities and address the developmental needs of our people,” he said.
He added that the projects underscored the administration’s commitment to ensuring that governance produced “meaningful and measurable benefits for every citizen across the 23 Local Government Areas of the State.”
The SSG also acknowledged the contributions of government officials, contractors, host communities and other stakeholders to the completion of the projects as he urged Rivers people to participate in the commissioning activities and continue to support the administration in its pursuit of peace and development.
“We invite all Rivers people to join in celebrating these milestones and to continue supporting the administration of Governor Siminalayi Fubara as it advances peace, development, progress, and prosperity,” Dr Wokoma said.
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I want to die like my husband- ex fiance minister Kemi Adeosun
Former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has revealed that her husband, Adeniyi Adeosun died peacefully,c praying that her owb end should be the same way..
Kemi served as Finance Minister under President Muhammad Buhari but was removed from office halfway following NYSC certificate scandal.
She said on Friday in an interview granted to Tribune that she visited the mortuary after her husband’s death and was struck by the smile on his face.
She explained that her husband had not been ill before his death and simply went to bed without waking up.
“On Friday, I went to the mortuary and when I saw him, he had the biggest smile on his face. He wasn’t sick. He simply went to sleep and didn’t wake up.”
She added that she would like to die in the same peaceful manner as her husband.
Kemi also expressed gratitude to God for her husband’s life and for the years they spent together as a family.
She described her late husband as a “mischievous human being” who brought laughter and happiness into their home.
According to her, his absence would be deeply felt by members of the family, friends and everyone who knew him.
News
Court defers ruling on suit seeking to deregister ADC, 4 others
Judgment on a suit seeking the de-registration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA) and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), over alleged constitutional breaches.m, was deferred Friday due to absence of the presiding judge
It would be recalled that Justice Lifu had on May 20, adjourned to June 5, to decide whether the affected parties should be allowed to participate in future elections in the country, having failed to win any seat in previous elections.
However, the judgement could not be delivered as scheduled due to the absence of the judge.
At the scheduled date, litigants and lawyers were all in court, including journalists and after waiting for nearly two hours, one of the court’s registrars announced to the court that the matter would not go on as scheduled due to the judge’s engagement with other official duties outside Abuja.
The registrar added that a new date for the delivery of the judgement would be communicated to parties in the suit, once it has been fixed.
Justice Lifu had last month fixed June 5, for judgement after taking arguments from all parties in the suit seeking the deregistration of the above political parties over alleged constitutional breaches.
He had also dismissed an application for stay of proceedings as well as applications seeking to be joined as an interested party.
The court had predicated the refusal on the grounds that granting a stay of proceedings at that stage would cause hardship on the litigants, especially as political parties were already expected to submit names of candidates ahead of upcoming elections.
Lifu had recalled that the Supreme Court had repeatedly cautioned lower courts against granting undue stay of proceedings, adding that since the applicants had already approached the Court of Appeal, the trial court should be allowed to conclude hearing of the matter unless otherwise directed by the appellate court.
“It is my considered view not to grant the stay except otherwise decided by the upper court,” the judge said, adding that all issues raised by the applicants lacked merit and were accordingly dismissed.
On the joinder applications, Lifu explained that most of the political parties seeking to be represented were already defendants in the suit, making the inclusion of individual members unnecessary.
Justice Lifu consequently dismissed the applications seeking to be joined in the suit by 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th defendants.
The applicants included incumbent governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke and a governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Oluwafemi Abayomi Adebambi both of the Accord party, and Hon Sani Yakubu Noma of the ADC.
The court also heard arguments on an application by counsel to the APP, Peter Abang, seeking dismissal of the suit on grounds that issues raised had already been argued before the appellate court.
In a brief ruling, Justice Lifu stated that the court would consider the decision of the Court of Appeal as relates to this matter alongside issues raised by parties before delivering judgement.
He subsequently directed parties to amend and adopt their final processes in line with the accelerated hearing earlier ordered by the court.
The suit, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2637/2026, was instituted by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and several political parties, including the ADC, Action Alliance, APP, Accord Party and Zenith Labour Party.
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