Osun State Governor, Adetola Adeleke, has endorsed the traditional approach to food price control introduced by some traditional rulers in his State. Governor Adeleke after inaugurating a Food Security Implementation Committee has directed them to expedite action to ensure the realization of a secure and accessible food supply value chain, describing the approach by the traditional rulers as “a local innovation to lower increasing food inflation across the state.”
It was learned that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, directed market women and men in Ife land to reduce the cost of foodstuffs while he disbanded the association of market women and men in Ife.
Its ripple effect was also adopted by the Oluwo of Iwo land, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi, who directed a reduction in the cost of foodstuffs within the three local government areas that make up Iwo land.
Reacting to the development, the Governor of the state through his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, has 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 curtail the negative activities of middlemen in marketplaces.
Governor Adeleke condemned the artificial inflation induced by activities of market middlemen while lauded the traditional rulers for their initiative, 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.”
He applauded the royal fathers for prevailing upon market leaders the need to avoid unnecessary price increases and 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. I 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.”
Meanwhile, the governor tasked the Committee on Food Security Implementation to quickly come up with actionable plans, deliverables, and timelines, noting 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. 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 state Governor declared.