Minister reaffirms duty-free policy as federal government seeks to crash food prices

Tinubu is in a cage, unaware of insecurity and food crises, says Ndume

Two days after President Bola Tinubu neither denied nor confirmed new measures to combat high food prices, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Abubakar Kyari yesterday confirmed the new measures by officially confirming the government’s suspension of food import duties.

When the news broke on Monday, the ministry appeared unaware of the statement. While it was mentioned that the minister had signed it, a ministry official told The Guardian that the minister had not issued any statement or addressed any press conference.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the policy was implemented in error as internal discussions with the Ministry of Agriculture and other agencies on how best to implement the policy were still ongoing. He apologized for the mistake, adding that the government was not unaware of its potential impact on suffering Nigerians.

Kyari has been conspicuously absent from many official duties for some time, as he was often represented by Minister of State Sabi Abdullahi. The development has left many stakeholders wondering whether the government is serious about solving the food crisis plaguing the country.

But yesterday, the minister tweeted: “Our administration has unveiled a series of strategic measures to address the high food prices that are affecting our country. These measures will be implemented over the next 180 days. They include a 150-day duty-free import window for food products, suspension of duties, tariffs and taxes on imports of certain food products including maize, husked brown rice, wheat and beans across land and sea borders, and subjecting imported food products to the Recommended Retail Price (RRP).

“We understand the concerns about the quality of these imports, especially with regard to their genetic makeup. The government assures that all standards will be maintained to guarantee the safety and quality of food products. The federal government will import 250,000 tons of wheat and 250,000 tons of maize. These semi-processed goods will be delivered to small processors and millers.”

HOWEVER, the Senate parliamentary caucus chairman, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has stated that President Bola Tinubu is unaware of the reality of the food crisis as well as the insecurity across the country because he is being blocked by certain forces in government.

Ndume claimed that the forces had effectively prevented the president from obtaining information from disinterested Nigerians that would help resolve food and security issues, an accusation he made while speaking to journalists at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Wednesday.

The Senate on Tuesday asked the Federal Government to address the food crisis in the country and immediately inform Nigerians of the appropriate measures being taken. Ndume said no significant steps have been taken in recent times to address the security problem in the country.

He said: “Mr President is not in the picture of what is happening outside the Villa. He has been fenced and caged. Some of us will not go through the back door to confront him. Nigerians are very angry. The government is not doing anything about the food shortage and it needs to do something urgently. We have no food reserves. There is a shortage of food. The food crisis is the worst crisis that any nation can face. If we add a security crisis to it, it is serious.”