The Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila is currently meeting behind closed doors with the National Security Adviser, NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and some ministers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting which began at about 05:30 pm also has in attendance the Ministers of Education, Dr Tahir Mamman; Finance, Wale Edun; Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari and State for Agriculture, Mustapha Shehuri.
Although the agenda of the meeting is not yet made public, it was said that it was not unconnected with food security, especially the rising prices of food items that are causing unrest in some states.
It was also reliably gathered that the meeting was for the Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention, convened by the Chief of Staff to the President.
The meeting is coming on the heels of the protests by women in Minna, Niger State and that of the angry youths in Kano over the rising cost of living in the country.
Attempts by security operatives to quell the protest by firing tear gas cannisters into the crowd and making some arrests were rebuffed by the mob.
The youths in Kano also protested over the hardship in the country and the state governor, Abba Yusuf assured them that he would take their complain to the President.
Meanwhile, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Olawale Edun speaking during a bilateral meeting with a visiting German delegation, led by the country’s Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Ms Svenja Shulze in Abuja on Monday, said the government is worried over the rising prices of food and commodities in the country.
Edun said the situation, which had produced growing discontent among the citizenry, was triggered by demand and supply forces.
He said; “I think the issue of rising prices is of concern to the government and everybody in Nigeria,” and some major steps were being taken to address the situation.
He said, “It is the issue of demand and supply and a lot of emphasis has been placed on increasing agricultural production, in particular.
“The president has intervened in that sector to provide grain, fertilisers to farmers and to bring additional acreage, rice, wheat, maize, and cassava – to increase the output and thereby bring down prices and that will help bring down inflation.
“And, of course, we are in the middle of the dry season farming and we are looking forward to a good dry season harvest that will ameliorate price, in particular, and the price level in Nigeria, in general.”
Edun said the partnership with Germany offered an opportunity for skills development between both parties, adding that it would help to boost job creation and reduce poverty.
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