The federal government has urged drivers conveying essential commodities to desist from the habit of smuggling passengers into states of destinations, asking them to abide by all extant rules and regulations put in place.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo stated this during the COVID-19 Pandemic weekly briefing in Abuja.
He commended manufacturers and captains of industries on the sustained production of essential commodities nationwide to cushion the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown that was put in place to curtail the spread of the Pandemic.
The minister who was represented by Engr. Battah Ndirpaya, the Manager, Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) of the Committee on Sustainable Production and Delivery of Essential Commodities said inter-state restrictions and curfew as one of the major obstacles militating against the free-flow and movement of essential commodities.
He disclosed that despite the initial challenges faced by manufacturers and industries, they were encouraged to operate by the federal government to ensure the production and distribution of essential products like food items, medical and pharmaceuticals products while observing all standard procedures, as recommended by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
