Ndume hails Tinubu on food security, calls for naira stabilisation
The senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, on Tuesday, praised the Federal Government over its declaration of national emergency on food insecurity.
Ndume gave the commendation in a statement issued by his media office in Abuja.
His plaudit comes barely 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu made the declaration on Monday, while opening the 6th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage in Abuja.
The president, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, called for an expanded irrigation infrastructure and participatory water resource management nationwide.
According to him, the country had more than 3.1 million hectares of irrigable land located around key river basins such as the Niger and Benue.
PUNCH Online reports that Tinubu had in July 2024 made a similar pronouncement after a meeting with agriculture stakeholders, when he directed the immediate release of fertilisers and grains to farmers and households to ease the pains of the petrol subsidy removal
Reacting, Ndume stated that the declaration was the needed impetus that would go a long way to forcing down the prices of farm produce in the market.
He said, “The Federal Government must pay attention to the rate of inflation and bring it down. It must not also ensure the stability of the naira against the greenback ( dollar) since we are an import-dependent country.
“In this case, the Tinubu administration must exploit the opportunities in the BRICS ( four emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) group since Nigeria is now a member. We can trade with the Chinese Yuan, rather than this concentration and undue relevance given to the dollar.”
The former Senate Chief Whip also advocated for the creation of a Department of Government Efficiency to be under the direct supervision of the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
According to him, such a new department would ensure that ‘Ministries, Departments and Agencies comply with budget implementations to the letter and promote positive government policies.’
Ndume also called on state governors to emulate the Governor of Borno, Professor Babagana Zulum, who has since declared a state of emergency on food insecurity in the state by providing thousands of tractors, irrigation equipment and fertiliser to farmers at subsidised prices in Borno State to boost food production.
Aside from the emergency on food insecurity, Ndume appealed to President Tinubu to make a similar pronouncement on the economy and security to drive growth.
