The Lagos State House of Assembly passed a resolution on Tuesday urging Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to urgently summon a stakeholders’ meeting to propose solutions to the rising food prices in the state.
The lawmakers also resolved to invite the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Ruth Olusanya, and the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, to discuss their plans to ease the effects of the economic situation on residents.
The House also urged the governor to subsidize transportation and food items in the state.
The House passed the resolutions via voice votes under ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’, raised by Mr. Segun Ege (APC-Ojo I) at plenary.
Ege said that though the current economic situation is not peculiar to Nigeria, the state and local governments must do more to ameliorate the sufferings in the state.
He advised leaders and statesmen to join forces with the government and play persuasive roles instead of inciting the people against the government.
Speaking, the Speaker, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa (APC-Agege I), said the situation called for a stakeholders’ meeting for the input of everyone, including members of the Federal and State Assembly as well as local government chairmen.
“No doubt, there is a challenge before us as representatives of the people, and it is the duty of all of us to offer solutions.
“This is a situation that started long ago in Nigeria. It is unfortunate that we are facing it now.
“The dollar issue did not start now. The prices of food and how farmers had been prevented from going to farms as a result of insecurity did not start now.
“The most unfortunate thing about it has to do with the comments coming from some leaders of the country.
“Instead of using their wisdom to appeal to the people, they use their words to incite people against the government as if they have not been in the country before now,” he said.
Obasa said they could not leave the federal government alone to offer solutions to the challenges in the country.
Contributing, Mr. Desmond Elliot (APC-Surulere I) said that what was important now was to appeal to the people, saying that protests and violence would not solve anything.
“Nobody prayed for the current situation, but we must work hand-in-hand to take us away from this mess.
”It is not the president’s fault, nor is it the governor’s fault,” he said.
In his contribution, the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr. Richard Kasunmu (APC-Ikeja II), said there was a need for the government to bring out actionable plans to solve the economic problem in the country.
On his part, Mr. Adewale Temitope (APC-Ifako-Ijaiye II) said the economic situation must be looked at holistically in order to find solutions.
While Mr. Femi Saheed (APC-Kosofe II) noted that other countries were also facing the same situation as Nigeria,.
According to him, a bag of rice sells for N120,000 in Cameroon and for about N97,000 in Ghana.
He emphasised the need to improve agriculture in the country.
Mr Gbolahan Yishawu (APC-Eti-Osa I) stressed the need for the state government to prioritise power, while Nureni Akinsanya ( APC-Mushin I) called for the establishment of food banks in the state to enable residents to buy at cheaper prices (NAN)
