Akwa Ibom Governor Pastor Umo Eno has urged traders to support the subsidy regime he is initiate to distribute food cheaper to Akwa Ibom state people as commodity prices keep soaring over the prevailing hardship.
Governor Eno said this while addressing food sellers and market associations at Government House, Uyo, in furtherance of consultations with stakeholders and partners involved in the food subsidy programme.
He emphasised that the consultations were to reaffirm his determination to ensure diligence and balancing of interest among traders, government and the targeted beneficiaries.
He expressed optimism that, “The food voucher initiative will yield best results in the implementation of the food subsidy programme and traders should partner government as vendors with assured modalities in place to ensure accountability, transparency and adequate management of the vouchers.”
He also said that people in rural communities who desire to participate in the programme can subscribe and get enlisted as vendors and make genuine business out of it.
He vowed to utilize its bulk purchase programme to crash food prices through direct sale to the people at discounted rates if traders prove to be clogs in the wheel of the food subsidy.
Eno reaffirmed that the food subsidy programme is only a palliative to help people survive the food crisis while awaiting their yield, urging Akwa Ibom residents from all walks of life to return to farming as the lasting solution.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Offiong Offor, explained that the meeting was for the governor to interact with traders and leaders of main market associations across the state as key players in the food distribution chain to ensure that foodstuff gets to Akwa Ibom people at affordable rate.
