Tinubu directs distribution of grains in FCT — four days after looting of warehouse

President Bola Tinubu has directed the distribution of grains to residents of the federal capital territory (FCT) to ameliorate the impact of the economic hardship on them.

Mariya Mahmoud, FCT minister of state, announced the president’s directive during the inauguration of the strategic committee for the emergency distribution of grains in  Abuja.

NAN reports that the distribution of palliatives would be done through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Some residents of the Gwagwa area of Abuja had broken into a warehouse belonging to the FCT administration and looted food items.

“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,” the minister said.

“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, to tell us how Mr President has us in the heart.

“So along this way, 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, we have already taken one out of it, before the two weeks, FCT will be able to submit all that is required from us.

“We were directed to include a different class 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 in 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, definitely this may bring their image out, then they will know that Mr President is listening to the call and complains of his people and he is answering that call.”