President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, February 15, emphasized the need for government at both federal and state levels, to move swiftly to form a committee that would critically consider all action plans, including the possibility of implementing a state police system, agreed to at a meeting he convened at Villa.
The president stated this at a meeting with 36 state governors, attended by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the DSS, and some ministers at the State House in Abuja.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, A Ajuri Ngelale, the President also said his administration is evolving home-grown solutions to address the nation’s food security challenges by setting up schemes to support local production and discourage all forms of rent-seeking that are associated with food importation.
On security, President Tinubu approved the establishment of a committee comprising state governors and representatives of the federal government to, among other things, explore the modalities for establishing state police.
The President further endorsed the training and equipping of forest rangers by sub-national governments to safeguard human and natural resources in local communities.
”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.
President Tinubu urged the governors to trust the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with the management of the country’s monetary policy, emphasizing 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 will continue to work diligently to improve the nation’s revenue profile.
At the meeting, the President and the governors emphasized the importance of working together to address issues of insecurity, food security, and out-of-school children.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for convening the meeting and affirmed the governors’ commitment to partnering closely with the federal government.
Meanwhile, in a briefing he later held with journalists at the State House, after the President’s meeting with governors, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, elaborated on decisions and conclusions at the meeting.
The Ministry was joined at the briefing by Governors Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Ubah Sani (Kaduna) and Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta).
Idris spoke extensively on the conclusion reached on security, agriculture and food security, saying both sides were considering the adoption of state police system as one of the steps to take to shore up security across the country and that this would be deliberate further.
Speaking on the steps agreed on managing the escalating food distribution situation in the country, Idris said “first, the National Security Adviser, the Director General of the State Services, and the Inspector General of Police, have been directed to coordinate with the state governors to look at the issue of those hoarding commodities.
“At this point, the nation requires foods to be brought out to the people so that we can control prices and put food on the table of most Nigerians. Other commodity traders are busy hoarding these commodities so that Nigerians will suffer or they will make more money as a result.
“So the governors and Mr. President have taken this decision that security agencies will collaborate with the state governors to ensure that this ends.
“Number two, a decision has also been taken that in the interest of our country, there will be no need for food importation at this point. Nigeria has the potential to feed itself and even be a net exporter of food items to other countries and we do not also want to reverse some of the progress we have seen in terms of food production in this country.
“In the area of security, Mr President and the state governors have all agreed that at this point, we are seeing significant improvement in the security situation around the country of course.
“Now in this direction. Mr. President and the state governors have also discussed the possibility of improving the numeric strength of forest rangers to train them so that they can keep our forests and our borders very safe.
“Now, there is also a discussion around the issue of state police. The federal government and the state governments are mulling the possibility of setting up state police. Of course, this is still going to be further discussed. A lot of work has to be done in that direction.
“Both the federal government and the state governments agree to the necessity of having state police, now this is a significant shift. But like I said, more work needs to be done in that direction”, he said.
