Commending the Federal Government, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, praised the initiative of selling 50kg bags of rice for N40,000, which is lower than the current market rate of N70,000.
The announcement of the cheaper rice was made by the Federal Government on Monday as a preventive measure against the planned hunger protest set to commence on Thursday, August 1, 2024.
In a statement released on Wednesday by Jare Ajayi, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, the organization reiterated its plea for the organizers of the protest to halt it for the sake of peace.
Expressing its appreciation for the administration led by President Bola Tinubu, Afenifere stated, “This initiative will involve the revival of the defunct commodity boards to oversee the availability, distribution, and sales of commodities nationwide. The government has shown readiness to implement this through the announcement by Vice President Kashim Shettima regarding the establishment of commodity boards to regulate the escalating food prices in the country.
“While the cause of the delay in setting up the boards is not immediately apparent, the government should seize this opportunity to establish the boards for public welfare.
“Board members should comprise individuals from the localities where commodities are to be distributed and marketed to act as watchdogs for the people. This approach will eliminate suspicions of governmental imposition.
“The government has commenced the distribution of 20 trucks of rice per state and decreed that each bag be sold at N40,000 instead of the current price exceeding N70,000. It has been reported that an additional 10 trucks have been dispatched, bringing the total to 30 trucks per state.
“States like Katsina, Bayelsa, among others, have acknowledged receiving the commodities and some have already commenced distribution. With ongoing efforts by the government to tackle food-related issues in the country, Afenifere reiterates its call for the organizers of the nationwide ten-day protest to reconsider their plans.”
He urged Tinubu to promptly alleviate the plight of farmers in the country by ensuring transparent utilization of the recently approved N2m package under the Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan, which emphasizes agriculture as a key focus, as proposed by the Presidential Economic Coordination Council.