By Olusegun Olanrewaju
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has said that the hike in food prices is becoming worrisome and unbearable for the country’s masses.
Oyintiloye, a defunct member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), said this while speaking with newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo.
The APC Cheiftain said that the hike in food prices had increased significantly, making it difficult for the masses to afford good meals.
He said there was an urgent need for governments at all levels to rescue the masses by providing solutions to the challenge.
Oyintiloye said that the cost of basic foodstuffs such as rice, beans, garri, semovita, and yam flour, among others, was getting out of the reach of the masses, forcing them to eat whatever was available.
According to him, the rise in food prices is mostly caused by insecurity, the high cost of transportation of the products, climate change, and the instability of the naira exchange rate.
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, added that the astronomical rise in food prices had battered citizens’ purchasing power, leading to uncertainty, an increase in poverty, and a high cost of living.
He said that food is a primary resource for human survival, and the government at every level should undertake tangible programmes to defeat hunger in the land.
According to him, a recent survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) also confirmed that food prices have risen by over 100 per cent.
Oyintiloye said that the survey, which was the 2023/24 General Household Survey-Panel, commonly called (GHS-Panel), launched on Nov. 25, in Abuja, revealed that 65.8 per cent of the households were unable to eat healthy, nutritious, or preferred foods because of low income.
The APC chieftain said that while the President Bola Tinubu-led administration was doing everything possible to bring down food prices, many Nigerians struggled to eat three-square meals.
Oyintiloye said that despite the federal government’s implementation of the food waiver policy and the Central Bank’s intervention to curb inflation through monetary policy, food prices were still very high.
“The exchange rate fluctuations further exacerbate this issue, particularly affecting the prices of imported food items.
“Food prices are becoming worrisome and unbearable for the masses.
“Many households can no longer afford nutritious meals, while many are begging for survival. This is pathetic and no longer bearable for the masses. I urge the Governors and the Federal government to intensify efforts and to stop further increases in the cost of food items. The situation may worsen, if factors leading to the increase are left unattended to, “he said.
Oyintiloye noted that the hike in food prices could worsen if immediate action was not taken to address the underlying factors driving food costs.
He urged the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission(FCCPC) to continue to uphold their mandate by protecting and promoting the interest and welfare of the consumers by reviewing economic activities to enhance quality product at competitive prices.
As the festive period approached, he also urged governments at all levels to set up markets where citizens could buy food at a subsidised rate temporarily.
“Federal Government and States should set up food markets for people to buy basic food items at subsidized rate to cushion the challenge, at least for this festive season,” he concluded.
