Sequel to the increasing cost of food in Nigeria, the lawmaker representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, has called on the Federal Government to open the borders for importation of food, particularly grains.
He noted that the order given to security agents by the government to go after those hoarding food items in the country will not be a permanent solution to the matter.
Chinda, the Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, who disclosed this to aviation correspondents, shortly on arrival from Abuja, noted that the idea of going from house to house to fish out those hoarding food is not a lasting solution.
“When the borders are open for importation of food, especially grains, there will be enough supply, and such will create a kind of competition, and those hoarding food will bring them out.
“These things respond to the market forces of demand and supply, and when there is more supply, price will shift downward”, he said.
On the issue of state police, the Minority Leader said time has come when the state police should be implemented, given the current security challenges in the country.
He said security needs to go down to the grassroots, noting that the number of police men in the country is not enough to tackle the security problem facing the country.
“I welcome the move by the governors towards establishing state police. If people are afraid of Governors controlling the state police to their advantage, is the President not controlling the federal police to his advantage?
“Every abnormal situation requires abnormal solution to tackle it. So, we need state police at this point in time to tackle security challenges”, Chinda said.