Buhari’s directives came as the Federal Government rolls out the Economic Sustainability Plan and sets goal for National Food Security.

At a meeting of the National Food Security Council at the State House, Abuja, President Buhari restated his earlier verbal directive to the apex bank, saying he will pass it down in writing that “nobody importing food should be given money.”

Emphasizing the need to boost local agriculture, the President said:”from only three operating in the country, we have 33 fertilizer blending plants now working. We will not pay a kobo of our foreign reserves to import fertilizer. We will empower local producers.”

President Buhari further directed that blenders of fertilizer should convey products directly to state governments so as to skip the cartel of transporters undermining the efforts to successfully deliver the products to users at reasonable costs.

He advised private businesses bent on food importation to source their foreign exchange independently, saying “use your money to compete with our farmers,” instead of using foreign reserves to bring in compromised food items to divest the efforts of our farmers.

“We have a lot of able-bodied young people willing to work and agriculture is the answer. We have a lot to do to support our farmers,” Buhari said.

The meeting, chaired by the president with other key members of the Council in attendance, was briefed on the food security situation prevailing in the country.

Notably, the Vice Chairman of the council and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and a governor from each of the six geo-political zones – Jigawa, Plateau, Taraba, Ebonyi, Lagos and Kebbi, made presentations.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Dr Zainab Ahmed, outlined measures introduced by the administration to tackle the unprecedented challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation as contained in the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP).

Among others, the minister highlighted that the government will facilitate the cultivation of 20,000 to 100,000 hectares of new farmland in every State and support off-take of agro-processing to create millions of direct and indirect job opportunities.

She also listed the creation of 774,000 direct jobs for a minimum of 1,000 young Nigerians in each local government, the construction of 300,000 homes every year to give a boost to jobs through the construction industry, as well as the connection of 25 million new users of electricity with the installation of Solar Home System (SHS) targeting 5 million households.

Dr Ahmed also briefed on the joint investment with the World Bank to provide intervention fund to States to improve health infrastructure.

She said to ease existing financial hardships among the people, the government is also coming up with low-interest loans for mechanics, tailors, artisans, petty traders and other informal business operators.

The Minister added that the Federal Government will equally provide support to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to help them keep their employees and boost local manufacturing.

Dr Ahmed explained that from the recently approved N2.3 trillion stimulus recommended by the NESP, there will be expansion of broadband connectivity to boost job opportunities in the digital economy, a planned expansion of the National Social Investment Programmes including increase in the number of beneficiaries such as the cash transfer beneficiaries, N-Power Volunteers, the Market Moni and Trader Moni schemes.

He was arrested alongside another lawyer, Fatima Hassan.

The duo were on Thursday granted bail from EFCC custody after they were asked to produce a level 12 officer of the federal service as surety.

In a statement on Sunday, Giwa alleged that both Malami and Wokoma had made a desperate move to lure him to nail the suspended Acting EFCC Chairman.

“On the 18th and 19th August, 2020, I was invited by the Justice Ayo Salami panel sitting in Aso Villa to testify against Ibrahim Magu through a conspiracy between the AGF, Malami (SAN), and Donald Wokoma, sacked Special Adviser to the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo,  whom I have represented and secured a judgment in his favour. Donald Wokoma was investigated for fleecing the sum of N250m from the amnesty programme through his company, Damaijay Integrated Services, by receiving contracts he never executed. His account was restricted by the EFCC.

“On the 11th July, 2020 Donald Wokoma was scheduled to be arraigned before His Lordship Hon Justice Akanbi at FCT High Court, Lugbe. Wokoma was absent and I represented him and the case was adjourned to 10th October, 2020 for arraignment. Wokoma in a desperate move to subvert the administration of justice, to quash or suspend his trial, conspired with persons in the AGF office who had promised to frustrate the trial and release the restricted account.

“To achieve this aim, the AGF requested that Wokoma have me to do a petition against Ibrahim Magu to the Justice Ayo Salami panel, accusing him of graft and having me to testify against the EFCC boss, an offer I declined. Wokoma in cahoots with the AGF, procured a lawyer who did the petition, which was forwarded by the AGF to the panel.

“Surprisingly, Donald in a twist of event tagged me as a ‘Magu boy’ an imaginary and infamous phrase designed to undermine the sterling achievement of Ibrahim Magu and demanded that I testify to the demand of graft by said Magu boys. It was my refusal and my stand to defend the truth and not to consent to the subversion of Justice that the AGF ordered my arrest and that of Fatima Hassan, a lawyer, whose testimony absolves myself and Ibrahim Magu from any wrongdoing.

“It was the fiasco at the panel that led to the avalanche of attacks including the order of arrest and petition by AGF and Wokoma respectively against me. I shall stand and defend justice no matter what happens,” he said.