The Eyewitness Reporter

In a bid to decapitate the spiraling insecurity in the country, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has set up a committee to explore all areas of possibilities to create state police.

Addressing an emergency meeting in the State House with all 36 state governors, the Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the DSS, and some ministers, President Tinubu reiterated his administration commitment to bolster security in the country.

He also vowed to ensure food security in the country by  setting up schemes to bolster local food production and cut out all forms of rent-seeking tied to food importation.
Towards this end, the president said has endorsed the training and equiping forest rangers to protect farmers in their communities.

“I have approved the creation of a committee that includes state governors and federal government representatives to explore, among other things, the possibility of establishing state police.

“I have also endorsed the training and equipping of forest rangers by sub-national governments to protect human and natural resources in our communities.

“My stance is unequivocal: we must move aggressively to examine the issues raised, including the potential for establishing state police.

On food security, the President said he had instructed the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police and the Director of State Services to go after those who hoard foods items in their warehouses for profiteering

“Following reports out of Kano and other areas about large-scale hoarding of food in some warehouses, I have instructed the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services to coordinate closely to ensure that security agencies in the states inspect such warehouses and take follow-up action.

“We cannot allow speculators, hoarders, and rent seekers to undermine our efforts in ensuring that food is widely available to all Nigerians.

” I will not establish a price control board, nor will I approve the importation of food.

“We must extricate ourselves from this predicament because importation only enables rent seekers to perpetrate fraud and mismanagement at our collective expense.

“Instead, we will support our farmers with schemes that encourage them to cultivate more food for the nation.

“We must also rapidly but thoughtfully implement our livestock development and management plans, including dairy farming and others.

On monetary policies and the Central Bank of Nigeria, Tinubu appealed to all governors and other Nigerians to trust the CBN in its efforts to take the country out of the woods as not everybody is an expert in this regard.

“I urge all governors to trust the Central Bank of Nigeria with the management of our country’s monetary policy, and emphasized the need for designated institutions to effectively fulfill their mandate.

“The “cacophony of postulations” on the fluctuation of foreign exchange rates is adversely affecting the market.

” Not everyone can be an expert. If we have assigned someone a task, we must allow them to perform it. If they fail, then we must find a way to quickly remove them from the system.

The president also urged the governors to prioritize the welfare and prosperity of the people in their development programmes while pledging the resolve of the federal government to continue to work to improve the nation’s revenue profile.

“As leaders, we must all work together to address issues of insecurity, food security, and out-of-school children” Tinubu declared.