Just In: Presidency directs immediate distribution of rice, maize and others to Abuja residents

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the emergency distribution of grains to alleviate the living conditions of Abuja residents days after the looting of a warehouse in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

This was disclosed on Wednesday by the Minister of State for the FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, during a meeting with area council chairmen and other stakeholders.

According to Mahmoud, a strategic committee led by her has been formed for transparent and equitable distribution through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

The Committee, consisting of various stakeholders, has less than two weeks to implement the presidential directive, with Minister Mahmoud cautioning against any actions hindering the initiative during a meeting with area council chairmen.

She said: “Yesterday we received this letter from the Presidency through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and we all know that some few days ago we were at Gwagwa where our warehouses were attacked by some youths in that area and then all we have there has been packed including the roofing, the gates and everything, and machinery that we used to make some of the foods that we were keeping there.

“So along that way God Almighty has given us a solution, everybody knows how Mr President Bola Tinubu has been going up and down to see how he will cushion the hardship in the country, especially the issue of food security. We have been having meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture to get a lot that we have to distribute to people.

“The honourable Minister of FCT, Barrister Nyesome Wike, was addressed through this letter to call an important meeting with important stakeholders that were highlighted. They are here to see that we arrange some committees for transparency in the distribution of these palliatives that we are about to get, and then the preparation that we need to have before these items are given to FCT for distribution.

“This is the reason that we called for this meeting. When we received the letter it said that it had to be handled in two weeks, so the two weeks from the day we received the letter, and we received this letter on the 29th of February.”

The minister who expressed disappointment with the area council chairmen for treating the invitation to the maiden strategic stakeholders meeting with levity, warned them against any act that will sabotage the good intention of the president towards the residents of the territory.

She said: “We were directed to include different classes of people, about 15, and chairmen of area councils are number one on the list, to show you how important they are. They are the people at the grassroots, in fact for me this is for them, this is trying to bring out their image. By the time we are going to do this distribution from one area council to another, this may bring their image out, then they will know that Mr President is listening to the call and complaints of his people and he is answering that call.

“So if we don’t help Mr President to achieve this, who will come and do this for us? That’s why they are first on the list, to my surprise they are the last in terms of attendance, because they have not given importance to what it is, and I know I have given a brief on the meeting. I called it an emergency because it is less than twenty-four hours, but if you look at the content and importance, even if it is two hours you must squeeze and manage to be here. Because you will not want somebody to tell you the decision that has been taken for your people on your behalf.”

Mahmoud listed members of the Committee to include: Chairmen of Area Councils, FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Traditional Rulers, Department of State Service (DSS), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Faith-based organisations, National Union of Local Government Employees, Nigeria Red Cross Society, Women Association, Persons with Disability Group, Youth Associations, Principal of Boarding Schools, Civil Society Organisations and the media.