The leadership of both the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party has called on the federal government to ensure transparency in the distribution of 102,000 metric tons of assorted grains as a short-term measure to salvage the food crisis in the country.
In separate interviews, the two leading opposition parties urged the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to redeem itself by keeping its promises, noting that the government had failed to fulfil previous promises.
Following spreading protests by Nigerians over the high cost of living and rise in food prices, the federal government had last Thursday, announced plans to release 42,000 metric tons of maize, millet, garri and other commodities from the National Strategic Grain Reserve.
In response to the promise by the government, the spokesman for the Labour Party Campaign Organisation, Yunusa Tanko, said the Tinubu government must keep its promise this time, noting that previous promises made by the government were not fulfilled.
“102,000 metric tonnes of grain? I doubt it. The problem with this APC-led government is that they make pronouncements but won’t follow them.
“They only use it to play to the gallery without looking at its implementation and execution.
“They will lie to the people but won’t execute it. Even the N25,000 they promised Nigerians since last year, we are already in February and nothing has been given to the people.
“The pain is too much and the masses are the ones feeling it. A dog doesn’t know his owner is having a party until he begins to see bones on the floor,” he lamented.
Also, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Abdullahi Ibrahim, said, “We need to keep reminding ourselves that Nigerians are hungry. It has got to a level where virtually everybody is folding their hand and assessing the situation of things. I don’t think the approach is an informed one.
“The truth is that you can’t claim to have food stored anywhere and then Nigerians are going to bed hungry. If the food is there, we don’t even need any pronouncement, release the food and let Nigerians eat.
“That way, you can concentrate on other pressing challenges, such as insecurity that has overwhelmed them since they came in.
“But even with this short-term measure for food shortage, I really don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel because their approach is not informed.
“The surge in crime currently, I can tell you, is connected to this hunger people are lamenting about.
“The position of the party is for them to pursue the objective they just announced with sincerity and hope it temporarily alleviates the suffering of the citizens to the barest minimum.”