Ministers Will Get Targets,Expert To Man Agric….Buhari

Ministers’ll Get Targets, Expert To Man Agric —Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari said on Tuesday that he had directed the Central Bank of Nigeria not to give any importer foreign exchange to import food into Nigeria.
Also, at a separate event on Tuesday , Buhari said he would set performance targets for his new ministers , while someone with expertise in agriculture would head the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

He said he ordered the CBN to stop giving forex to food importers because he was convinced that the country had achieved “ full food security” and could cater for itself with the recent progress made in the agricultural sector .

The President noted that rather than spend hard currency on importing food, the Federal Government would preserve the country ’ s foreign reserve “ strictly for diversification of the economy. ”

He spoke at his country home in Daura , Katsina State, when the All Progressives Congress’ governors visited him to share the Eid -el -Kabir lunch with him .

The governors were led by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors ’ Forum, who is also the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr John Fayemi .

“ Don ’t give a cent to anybody to import food into the country , ” a State House statement quoted Buhari as what he directed the Governor of the CBN , Mr Godwin Emefiele , to do.

To buttress his position on why he believed the country did not need to import food, Buhari cited states including Ogun , Kebbi , Lagos , Jigawa, Kano and Ebonyi, which he said , were already making huge profits by engaging in rice farming .

He added that the states became successful in rice farming by embracing the Federal Government ’s policy on agriculture , aiming primarily to feed Nigerians with home – grown food.

Explaining his position further , he told the governors, “ We have achieved food security, and for physical security we are not doing badly.”

He also said he was happy that many Nigerian graduates were getting into agric -related business and entrepreneurship that had been yielding appreciable returns for their efforts .

The President also spoke on his cabinet soon to be inaugurated, saying that targets would be set for the ministers to ensure that they performed.

Copyright PUNCH.

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