Tinubu gives in on state police, blames hoarders for food crisis

By Ukpono Ukpong

After months of dithering, President Bola Tinubu has finally bowed to pressure on the strident calls by state governments and other well meaning Nigerians for the creation of state police.

The President, at a meeting with state governors on Thursday in Abuja, blamed hoarders for high cost of foodstuff in the country.

He approved the setting up of a panel to work out modalities for getting governments at subnational levels to establish their own police units.

President Tinubu further endorsed the training and equipping of forest rangers by sub-national governments to safeguard human and natural resources in local communities across the country.

The move is aimed at tackling the growing security challenges, characterised by widespread kidnapping, banditry and unprovoked killings of unarmed citizens by non state actors.

The meeting, which held at the presidential villa, was attended by the Vice President Kashim Shettima and 36 state governors.

Also in attendance were the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) Yusuf Bichi and some cabinet ministers.

On food security and ravages of hunger in the land, the President said his administration would apply “home-grown solutions” to address the challenges.

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He promised to come up with schemes to support local production and discourage all forms of rent-seeking associated with food importation.

”My position at this meeting is that we must move aggressively and establish a committee to look critically at the issues raised, including the possibility of establishing state police.

”From Kano, we have read reports about large-scale hoarding of food in some warehouses. The National Security Adviser (NSA), the Inspector-General of Police, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services should coordinate very closely and ensure that security agencies in the states inspect such warehouses with follow up action.

”We must ensure that speculators, hoarders, and rent seekers are not allowed to sabotage our efforts in ensuring the wide availability of food to all Nigerians.

”What I will not do is to set a price control board. I will not also approve the importation of food. We should be able to get ourselves out of the situation we found ourselves in, because importation will allow rent seekers to perpetrate fraud and mismanagement at our collective expense. We would rather support farmers with the schemes that will make them go to the farm and grow more food for everyone in the country.

”We must also look at the rapid but thoughtful implementation of our livestock development and management plans, including dairy farming and others,” the President stated.

Tinubu urged the governors to trust the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with the management of the country’s monetary policy, emphasising the importance of allowing designated institutions to fulfill their mandate effectively.

He said the ”cacophony of postulations” on the fluctuation of foreign exchange rates was unduly affecting the market negatively.

”Every one of us can not be an expert. If we have given someone an assignment, let us allow them to do it. If they can not do it, then we find a way to quickly get them out of the system,” the President affirmed.

President Tinubu asked the governors to always make the welfare and prosperity of the people a priority of their development programmes, assuring them that the federal government would continue to work diligently to improve the nation’s revenue profile.

He charged governors to pay attention to livestock development in their states to increase production, most especially poultry and fishery products.

The President further appealed to the governors to ensure workers’ salary arrears, gratuities and pensions are cleared so as to make money available to the people.

Tinubu urged the governors to “spend the money, don’t spend the people” as they now receive more money from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).

President Tinubu further implored the governors to create more economic opportunities for the youths in their states to keep them more productively engaged.

The President and the governors emphasised the importance of working together to address issues of insecurity, food security, and the growing number of out-of-school children.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State expressed appreciation to the President for convening the meeting and affirmed the governors’ commitment to partnering with the federal government.

AbdulRazaq, who is the chairman of
the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) spoke on behalf of the 36 state governors.