The Minister of Industry Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Richard Adebayo has disclosed that the ministry has resolved 32 cases of complaints on challenges in the effective supply/delivery of essential commodities across the country.
The Minister, in a statement by the Ministry’s Deputy Director, Press, Ibrahim Haruna, explained that out of the 32 cases received and resolved, 26.7 percent involved delivery of food items, 40 percent were issues concerning availability and delivery of other essential items while 33.3 percent of the complaints were manufacturing related cases.
Adebayo disclosed this in Abuja after receiving briefs from the Manager, Emergency Operation Centre, Engr. Battah Ndirpaya.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Nasir Sani- Gwarzo, Adebayo noted that despite the restrictions imposed in several states across the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Federal Government has recorded huge successes in the supply of essential commodities nationwide.
He pointed out that cases were resolved through the Committee on Sustainable Production and Delivery of Essential Commodities for COVID-19 Pandemic through the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC).
A breakdown of the cases by geo-political zones reveals that 27 percent are from the North-Central, 24 percent from the South- East, 31 percent from the South-West while 17 percent are from the South-South region.
“The summary of cases received and resolved by geo-political Zones are as follows: North-West, 13.7 percent of the cases pertained to the delivery of essential items, while 10.3 percent were manufacturing cases; 10.3 percent involved Manufacturing cases in the South East; 6.8 percent involved the delivery of food items in the South West, 10.3 percent involved the delivery of essential items while another 10.3 percent were manufacturing cases; 6.8 percent involved the delivery of food items in South-South while 10.3 percent pertained to the delivery of essential items and 3.4 percent of the cases in that Zone were manufacturing cases” said Adebayo.
Continuing, he said: “Cases received and resolved by category is 6.8 percent in the North-Central which were Logistics associated,3.4 percent were manufacturing related,3.4 percent cases were in Retail while13.7 percent were Market Intelligence cases adding that 13.7 percent of the cases recorded in the South East were logistics related while 10.3 percent were in manufacturing. 24.1 percent cases in the South West were logistics while 6.8 percent were manufacturing related. 10.3 percent of cases recorded from the South-South were Logistics, 3.4 percent were in manufacturing while another 3.4% were Market Intelligence cases.”
The Minister commended the security agencies for their support and appealed to the state governors to direct their ministries of trade and industry or any relevant agencies to collaborate with the security agencies or special task force on COVID-19 to facilitate easy movement and distribution of food products and other essential commodities as approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.
