The Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), CP Bala Ciroma, has pledged the free movement of food and agricultural inputs into and across the territory.
Ciroma gave the assurance during the inaugural meeting of the Joint Technical Task Team on the Emergency Response to Covid-19 on the Challenges of Free Movement of Food and Agricultural Inputs at the FCT Police Command.
The police boss, who was represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of operations, DCP Sunday Babaji, urged members of the task force to see their membership as a call to national service during the Covid-19 crisis.
“Let me urge you all to see your membership of this task force as a call to national service in a time of crisis occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic. I assure the government that the police in the FCT alongside other security agencies will ensure the free movement of food and agric inputs so as to guarantee food security,” Ciroma said.
He said all Divisional Police headquarters have been mobilized to ensure that all those transporting foodstuff and other agric essentials are given priority on the road, even as he warned motorists to avoid transporting contrabands with food and agric inputs as anyone caught will face the full weight of the law.
The joint task force was set up by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to amongst other things; work with relevant agencies in the states and FCT develop a window that will facilitate the free and unhindered movement of food, livestock and agricultural inputs without compromising the security and health of the nation.
To also issue clear instructions to all the security personnel in the three internal security outfits; police, civil defence and the army, on the need to allow the free and unhindered movement of foodstuff, livestock and agric inputs to all parts of Nigeria.
Members of the committee include, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council, Emmanuel Ogbeche; Assistant Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr. Ogboje Jairus; representatives of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Yunusa Halidu; and representative of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Yusuf Alabi.
Others are representatives of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Alhaji A. Umar; and representative of the Ministry of Agric and Rural Development, Alhaji M.G. Abdulrahman, who serves as secretary of the committee.
