By Ola Kay
A Pro- democracy group, the Tinubu Media Volunteers, TMV, has acknowledged new measures taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu towards jerking down the high cost of food prices in the country as a radical and proactive initiative, capable of yielding desired result any time soon.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Chukwudi Enekwechi and Secretary Sunday Shedrach Gyungoun, the group expressed confidence that the new measures will stem the tide of inflation and help to drive down the prices of food items in the country.
The group lauded the bold initiative to temporarily lift import duties on certain food items, saying that it is the right step in the right direction.
The TMV statement partly read : “We, the Tinubu Media Volunteers have reviewed the proactive measures being taken by the administration aimed at taming food inflation in the country and concluded that they are in the best interest of the populace.
“These measures which include suspension of duties, tariffs and taxes on the importation of food commodities like wheat, maize, cowpeas, and husked-brown rice, we believe, if well implemented, would definitely bring down prices of food items in the country.
“We also note that President Tinubu thought about and took these measures as he himself characteristically has genuine concerns and interests in masses welfare as well as farmers.
“The measures which are meant to fill the yawning gap in food production in the country will last for a period of 150 days during which the local farmers are expected to raise their production level.
“It is expected that the intervention of the Tinubu administration to reduce the inflationary trend in the food sector will lead to the importation of 250,000 metric tonnes of wheat and 250,000 metric tonnes of maize.
“For us, these proactive interventions depict the government as responsible and responsive to the yearnings of the people.
“We are of the strong opinion that in the final analysis, these measures will address the issue of food insecurity in a very short while.
The group also acknowledge the position of the federal government to adopt recommended retail prices’ for the imported food items, noting that this will go a long way to making food items available at affordable prices to Nigerians.
It further stated that the control measure will help to keep at bay excesses of shylock middlemen that may want to take advantage of the situation.
The pro-Tinubu group appealed to Nigerians to see the moves being made so far as necessary, to address the food crisis in the country and advised on the need for continuous support to the federal government.
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