By Femi Akinola
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has disclosed his administration’s readiness to start feeding 57,000 Lagosians on daily basis to cushion the effect of high cost of food items across the state.
Sanwo-Olu made the disclosure on Thursday during a Meet the Press interview programme held in Lagos.
The programme was designed to squawk members of the public what his government has been passing through since he assumed office for the second and final term in office as Governor of Lagos State.
Responding to questions from a team of journalists drawn from different electronic media organisations, Governor Sanwo-Olu explained that in each local government area and local council development areas across the state, 1000 people would be fed on daily basis at selected ‘Mama Put’ and restaurants across the state.
Governor Sanwo-Olu also said that his government has concluded plans to open Sunday markets at 42 identified markets across the state where people of Lagos will be able to buy food items at discounted price.
Responding on the low production of rice at the Lagos Rice Mill situated at Imota, a suburb of Lagos, Sanwo-Olu explained that that the challenge of non-availability of sufficient Paddy all over the country have effect on rice production at the mill.
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To get rid of the challenge, he said the State is discussing with the Federal Government to enable Lagos to get at least two vessels of Paddy from outside the country for Lagos Rice Mill to produce for a year non- stop.
The governor also said his administration came up with the idea of food hub purposely to ensure people of Lagos gets fresh foods regularly at moderate price at the food hub.
He disclosed that four additional food hubs are under construction across the state adding that they will soon be completed to make five food hubs in the state with the first situated at Idi-Oro, Mushin, Lagos.
According to him, seven other locations in other local government areas have been identified to build more food hubs.
Sanwo-Olu reiterated his commitment to eradicating hunger in Lagos when responding to a question.
He said Lagos will encourage urban farming adding that even at the State House, Alausa, the seat of the State Government, “there is a fish pond, and there was an attempt on snail farming, which infestation of ants made unsuccessful.”
On building demolitions that took place recently in parts of the state, Governor Sanwo-Olu said: “We only remove the structures of those that contravened the State’s Building and Development laws. We don’t consider ethnic or religious background of those defaulting our laws. We cannot compromise the laws; we need to rescue the city.”
