President Bola Tinubu has been urged to ignore criticisms over the suspension of tariffs, duties and taxes on the importation of food grains and other products into the country.
The appeal was made by an All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye while speaking with journalists in Osogbo on Sunday.
Newspot recalls that the Federal Government on July 8, 2024, announced the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes on some essential food items imported through land and sea borders.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari during a press briefing in Abuja, said the listed food items, which include maize, wheat, husked brown rice, and cowpeas, will enjoy a 180-day Duty-Free Import Window.
Oyintiloye, who claimed that Nigerians were highly hopeful and were eager to get dividends of democracy said it is either those criticising the policy were benefiting from the economic challenges that Nigerian masses face or are planning to push the masses against the president by causing unnecessary unrest.
Insisting that the global economic crisis, coupled with unavoidable policies introduced by the present administration, were working against the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, he hinted that steps taken in recent times to revamp the economy were beginning to yield the desired results.
“Although the tariff suspension might not be the lasting solution to the food crisis in the country, it will cushion the effects of the food crisis ravaging the country in the short term, the president should be commended for taking the bold step.
“For the president to give relief to the consumer on certain products against trade policy on import ban, it shows that his administration was responsible and responsive to the outcry of Nigerians.”
Oyintiloye revealed that the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS indicates that food inflation in the country rose to 40.66 per cent in May from 40.53. per cent in April, was a signal that the government needed to take a bold step as the president did to address the situation.
“The president should ignore the criticism by those who see nothing good in the decision.
“Nigeria voted for good governance, high standard of living, and to achieve this and many others, the president should be focused on how to improve the economy and lift the country out of inherited economic quagmire and ignore the critics,” he said.
Oyintiloye while noting that agriculture remained a cornerstone of Nigerian life, called on the government not to relent in its aggressive efforts to make food available in abundance.
“I urge government at all levels to discard the old subsistence system of farming, storing, and processing and embrace mechanised systems of farming
“The government should empower and encourage farmers with soft loans and subsidize farming implements for genuine farmers, provide adequate security, and integrate the youth into agriculture systems
“I strongly believe that with all the interventions the government has put in place to tackle the food crisis in the country, the projection of the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, that the government will crash food prices in the next 180 days is achievable,” he said.
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