Details of meeting between Buhari and Governors emerge

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met with some state governors over the rising price of food in the country.

It was learned that the meeting with the governors, who are members of the National Food Security Council, was held inside the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Governors who attended the meeting are Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the council; Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State; Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa; Simon Lalong of Plateau; Darius Ishaku of Taraba; and Dave Umahi of Ebonyi.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele; National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd.); and some ministers among others also attended the meeting.

Speaking during the opening session before the meeting went into closed doors, the Chief of Staff to the President, COS, Ibrahim Gambari, said the current price increases are transient as the prices are expected to crash as new grains come into the market.

He said that the recent surge of national food prices is gradually evolving to a food crisis with a capacity to threaten the nation’s food security.

Gambari said the meeting was to ascertain the root causes of the recent spike in food prices and to craft strategies to mitigate its effect.

He explained that although various concerns were raised about the possible root causes of the increase in commodity items. Gambari noted that the government has been informed that prices are actually on the decline as new grains have been introduced to the market.

The COS said new maize which was previously sold for N25,000 per bag is now being sold between N12,000 and N17,000 and that it was expected to fall between N7,000 and N8,000 per bag by November 2020.