NIGER STATE BANS PURCHASE OF GRAINS FROM RURAL AREAS IN LARGE QUANTITIES 05-02-24
By Sadiq Aminu The Niger State Government has banned the purchase of large quantities of food items especially grains from the rural areas.
Governor Mohammed Umar Bago made this known while briefing newsmen on the State of the State at the Government House, Minna.
He said the ban was to check the activities of specularors who mopped up essential food items from villages and help in curbing the hike in food prices.
The Governor threatened that henceforth, any truck caught carrying large cache of grains in the rural areas would be seized while the food items would be shared to the people.
The Governor who also decried the activities of traders that hoard food items to cause artificial scarcity, issued a directive to the relevant key players to check warehouses alleged to be hoarding with food items.
Commenting on the protest that rocked at a particular area in the State, Governor attributed the development to the activities of hoodlums who blocked a major road with the intent of looting food items from trucks coming from the Southern part of the courtesy.
He said security reports indicate that the protesters have a network through which they communicate to their members whenever they sighted trucks coming to the northern part of the country with food items.
He hinted that this is not the first time that this is happening as the the network usually misled people to come out and collect their palliative before it is diverted.
The Governor acknowledged that the current hardship is not peculiar to the State alone but Government is making efforts to bring succour to the people.