TUC advices Nigerian govt to import food to address rising costs, economic hardship

As Nigerians continue to grapple with rising cost of living, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has charged the Federal Government to commence the immediate importation of essential food items to cushion the effect of rising food prices across the country.

President of TUC, Festus Osifo gave this advice during a press conference on the economic hardship ravaging the country on Monday, February 26, 2024. in Abuja.

Ripples Nigeria reports that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is set to commence a two-day nationwide protest from tomorrow to underscore the effect of the rising cost of living on Nigerians. The TUC has however withdrawn from the protest, stating that it would not be part of it.

Osifo lamented that Nigerians have never witnessed this level of hardship before even during military regimes, adding that the problems are not unconnected to the government’s poor patronage of locally made products and services, and lack of capable hands at the helm of affairs.

READ ALSO:Oshiomhole says NLC, TUC strike is misplaced priority

“Nigerians must live to see tomorrow before we can understand how beautiful a government policy is. The national pride of striving to achieve food sufficiency locally should be temporarily relaxed. Governments at all levels should immediately purchase sufficient quantities of food items from different parts of the world and share them with vulnerable Nigerians.

“Importing food abroad at this point will assist to reduce the hyper-inflation of food in the country. FG should allow importation of food items for Nigerians consumption within the next two weeks.’’

The TUC President advised President Bola Tinubu to as a matter of urgency strengthen the economic management team of his administration and also look beyond party or tribal lines to headhunt the best Nigerians throughout the world who could sit down and develop homegrown solutions to the hardship menace.

By Babajide Okeowo

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