Amid Protests, Federal Government Assures No Food Shortage in Nigeria

The chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, met behind closed doors with the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and some ministers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday, over food security and protests in some states.

The meeting also had in attendance the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Yemi Cardoso; Ministers of Education, Dr Tahir Mamman; Finance, Wale Edun; Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari; and State for Agriculture, Sabi Abdullahi.

The parley was held as the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and some opposition parties disagreed over the cost of living protests in Niger and Kano states.

While the APC accused the opposition of sponsoring what it dismissed as anti-Federal Government protests, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Labour Party, LP, and Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, said the APC was chasing shadows and had itself to blame for the protests.

Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting that lasted for about three hours, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, expressed President Bola Tinubu’s worry over the development.

He said that the President has directed that the situation should be arrested by the Presidential Committee to reduce hardship on the populace.

The Minister, who said that there is enough food in the country, added that some elements are trying to take advantage of the high food prices and the depreciation of naira to cause havoc.