HARDSHIP: Tinubu is also protesting on behalf of citizens —Information minister, Idris

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris has stated that President Bola Tinubu is already protesting the economic hardship in the country by addressing food availability and affordability.

He stated this during a press briefing at the presidential villa in Abuja on Monday.

According to him, “the president has listened to the voices of all those who are planning this protest. And the message is that there is no need for it,” he said.

“Indeed, the president is already protesting on their behalf by doing those things that they want a government to do. For example, the effort that the government is making in ensuring that food is being made available.

“The last council meeting here at the briefing, we announced that a number of trucks, 20 precisely, had been given to the state governors for onward distribution to those who actually are in need of them to the poorest of the poor in society and those who are actually in need. Food being made available.

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“But the government did not stop there, there is also rice that is being sold at about 50 percent of its cost — a bag of rice is being sold as we speak now.

“This rice has been taken to various centres across all the states of the federation and is being sold at N40,000. Centres have been created so that those who need this rice can go there and buy this rice at N40,000.

“In the first instance, about 10 trucks have been made available to each of these states and indeed this is just the beginning. I know that some of the comments you hear are that it is never enough.

“The government has not pretended that these supplies are indeed enough. But these are necessary first steps that are being made, and more of such interventions are being made in the interim.”

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