The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has endorsed the traditional price control mechanism to curb the rising food inflation in his State.
Recall that traditional price control was first introduced by some traditional rulers in Osun State.
Seeing its efficiency in curbing the runway cost of food items in the State, the Governor has directed the Food Security Implementation Committee to adopt the approach.
Adeleke urged the Committee to expedite efforts to ensure the realization of a secure and accessible food supply value chain. He described the approach by the traditional rulers as “a local innovation to lower increasing food inflation across the State.”
Recall that ISUIKWUATO VOICE had reported that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, directed market women and men in Ife land to reduce the cost of foodstuffs. The Oba also disbanded the association of market women and men in Ife and ordered that every marketer should be allowed to sell at his or her price. The monarch also ordered that nobody should sell pepper more than N100 in the area. He also barred the indigenes from preventing outsiders from coming to sell their wares in the community.
Duo to its success in curb food inflation in the area, the initiative was also adopted by the Oluwo of Iwo land, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi. He directed a reduction in the cost of foodstuffs within the three Local Government Areas that make up Iwo land.
The Governor’s order was contained in a statement issued on Friday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed.
“Governor Adeleke tasked the State Food Security Implementation Committee to act swiftly. He expressed happiness that traditional rulers in Osun State have taken steps to regulate food prices. And to curtail the negative activities of middlemen in marketplaces.
Governor Adeleke also condemned the artificial inflation induced by market middlemen. He, therefore, lauded the traditional rulers, under the chairmanship of the Ooni of Ife, for abolishing market associations that induced high food prices.
According to the Governor, “the actions of most members of the Osun State Council of Traditional Rulers on price control have assisted the government in its quest to address food insecurity in Osun State.”
Adeleke, therefore, praised the traditional rulers for impressing upon market leaders the need to avoid unnecessary price increases. He called on all other traditional rulers in Osun State to emulate the actions of the royal fathers at Ile Ife, Ede, Igbajo, Iwo, and other areas.
“I task our royal fathers to engage market associations and stop the exploitation of our people. And I have read the report of the initiative by the Ooni of Ife. I also read of similar actions by the Oluwo of Iwoland and the Timi of Ede Land. This approach should be adopted by all royal fathers.
“I am also directing my Special Adviser on Markets to move quickly to support our royal fathers in this new drive to institute traditional price control. The Iyalojas and Babalojas should be integrated into the implementation process.”
The Governor also tasked the Committee on Food Security Implementation to quickly come up with actionable plans, deliverables, and timelines. He noted that food security is a matter demanding urgent attention.
“The Committee is composed of tested experts. It is time for action. We already have a well-thought-out food security report. We only need a roadmap to execution.
“I commend the Commissioner for Agriculture for rising to the occasion on our agro-industrialization agenda. We have started with the supply of tractors, which I will be unveiling at a ceremony soon. And we have embraced traditional price control through our traditional rulers.
“We must implement a holistic agenda which addresses all segments of the agricultural value chains. That is what we have in our Food Security Committee report. And the actualization is what I demand from the implementation committee,” the Governor declared.
source: Daily Post
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