Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago of Niger state has released 50,000 metric tonnes of grains to be sold to Niger residents at 50 per cent below prevailing market prices.
The governor stated this Thursday in a meeting with stakeholders from the state.
He said, “We have over 100, 000 metric tonnes of food in our reserves out of which we will be releasing 50,000 metric tonnes to be sold at 50 per cent of its present price.”
The farmer governor assured that “before the end of the year, we will slash food price by 90 per cent.”
He called on security agencies to effectively monitor the exercise, warning that anyone caught in shoddy deals would be published.
He said the youths of the state will not join in the planned August 1-10 nationwide protest against hunger and economic hardship in Nigeria.
“We, as youths of Niger state, have distanced ourselves from the nationwide protest because we are peaceful and want peace and tranquility. You can start demonstration but you cannot end demonstrations. To youths who are agitating for this protest, let us end these agitation, let us communicate and dialogue on the best way forward,” he explained.
Bago explained that it is in the efforts to assuage the economic hardship on the people that he announced the release of 50,000 metric tonnes of grains which would be sold at 50 per cent of its present price.
“The food I am giving out at 50 per cent subsidy was originally meant for export but due to the hardship faced by the people, we have opened our warehouses to feed Nigerlites,” he said.