FG to begin grains distribution, insists warehouse looting criminal, beyond hunger

• Police rejig security in FCT over looting of warehouses, food-laden trucks
• Obi: It’s a shame war-ravaged Ukraine feeding Nigeria
• Politicians should stop weaponising hunger, says HURIWA

Two varied reactions from the Federal Government yesterday trailed Sunday’s looting of a warehouse in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

While the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abubakar Kyari, sympathised with Nigerians over the current hardship, especially the looting of the foodstuff warehouses with a promise to begin the distribution of grains nationwide this week, the FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, said the looting was beyond hunger; and just plainly criminal.

While describing the looting of the warehouse located at Gwagwa-Tasha as a very unfortunate incident, Mahmoud, who was on an assessment visit to the warehouse, noted that the hoodlums carted away all the grains and other foodstuff, including the roofing sheets of the facility.

“The hoodlums attacked this warehouse and packed everything here. Not only food items, the roofing, windows, and even the gates of this place were carted away. You can see the level of damage. There is nothing that is left here, including machinery that is used for the processing of some of the food in the warehouse.”

The minister explained that the looting occurred when the FCT Administration was restocking its warehouses with a view to meeting up with the directive of President Bola Tinubu that palliatives be distributed to residents in all the six Area Councils of the FCT.

“We distributed the palliative twice and about to do the third one, when the hoodlums attacked the trucks offloading food items in the warehouse, leaving some of the officials injured. But the way this thing happened actually is beyond hunger. This is a criminal act. Somebody that is hungry cannot move out to remove all the roofing that is here,” she said.

The Agriculture Minister, Kyari, in a statement said: “I understand the gravity of the situation, especially with the unfortunate event of foodstuff warehouse looting. Amid these challenges, I want to assure you that our commitment to your well-being remains resolute. We shall commence the distribution of 42,000 metric tons of grains, as approved by Mr. President, across the 36 states of the federation as one of the programs to be rolled out this week.

“We are working hand in hand with NEMA and the DSS to ensure that the grains get to the right people in the right packages and quantities. Furthermore, 58,500 metric tons of milled rice from mega rice millers will also be released into the market for stabilisation.”

Already, police operatives in FCT have rejigged security around government and private warehouses in Idu Industrial layout and other areas following Sunday’s mass looting. Police operatives have been deployed to several parts of the city where warehouses and industries are located to avert another looting.

This is just as the looting spree continued as some hoodlums reportedly attacked a food-laden truck and looted all its items in the Dei Dei area of FCT.

However, FCT police command said it was not aware of the Dei Dei attack. According to police spokesperson, SP Jospehine Adeh, “the FCT Police Command is not aware of any looting of food trucks in Dei-Dei this morning, March 4.”

As the country’s food crisis worsens, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in 2023 election, Peter Obi, has described the donation of 25,000 tonnes of wheat as emergency food assistance to 1.3 million vulnerable, crisis-affected people in northeast Nigeria by Ukraine, a war-ravaged nation, as national embarrassment.

The former Anambra State governor, who expressed his disappointment on his verified X-handle said: “It is disheartening that our once economically confident nation, blessed with vast arable land and abundant natural resources, now relies on a war-torn Ukraine for food assistance.

“This national disgrace stems from years of leadership failure, necessitating urgent reflection and a reordering of our national priorities and resource management and allocation. Instructively, Ukraine, with a population of 43 million on 603,728 km2, outshines Northern Nigeria, covering 744,249 km2 with a young, energetic population exceeding 100 million.

“In 2015, Ukraine’s GDP per capita was $2,125, compared to Nigeria’s $2,680. By 2022, despite being at war, Ukraine’s GDP per capita exceeded $4,000, while Nigeria’s regressed to $2,184.

“Ukraine cultivates over 60 per cent of its arable land, whereas Nigeria has over 60 per cent uncultivated arable land. Despite the conflict, Ukraine feeds itself, and exports agricultural products worth over $25 billion, which is about the same value as our crude oil export earnings, and it serves as a strategic global food supplier, even providing aid to a peaceful yet unproductive Nigeria.

“To overcome this embarrassment, we must aggressively reorder our priorities by investing resources in productive sectors like agriculture. Addressing insecurity is crucial for farmers to return to their fields, enabling a productive manufacturing sector and supporting small businesses.”

Similarly, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has said that foodstuff looting will stop when politicians stop weaponising hunger. The group also asked the government to re-establish grassroots democratic governments at the 774 local councils of the 36 states of the federation.

According to the rights group, this move will end these cocktails of aggressive attacks by hungry masses of Nigeria targeting warehouses of government and private enterprises in Nigeria.

The body also cautioned governments at all levels to find a better way to dissuade people from looting public warehouses instead of relying on the routine policing methodology of arrests, parade of suspects and prolonged, meaningless and time wasting prosecution in the court that moves with the speed of snail.

“The Nigerian state must end hunger now or be prepared to have the private homes of any affluent Nigerian invaded even if battalions of armed security are procured to protect such exotic housing assets. It is now or never,” the group noted.