Federal government to exempt farmers from lockdown restriction

- An exemption is expected to be made to the lockdown order of President Muhammadu Buhari

- The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is working to get a pass to provide free movement for farmers amid the lockdown

- This will facilitate the free movement of vehicles carrying foodstuff, perishables, farm inputs, livestock, and fish without compromising health measures

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is making plans to get passes recognized by security agencies that allow farmers to move freely amid the lockdown restrictions in some states.

According to This Day, the Ministry of Agriculture is currently working with several farmers-crop producers, poultry, and tractor services associations to design passes to be recognized by security agencies to facilitate the free movement of foodstuff, perishables, farm inputs, livestock, and fish.

This was contained in a statement shared at the end of a meeting Sabo Nanono, the minister of agriculture and rural development, had with the ministers of defence, interior, and police affairs on emergency response to COVID-19.

Nanono in the statement further recommended that the relevant security agencies should work with clear instructions at various checkpoints to facilitate the passage of vehicles carrying foodstuff, perishable farm products, livestock and farm inputs without compromising national security or health measures.

Security agencies within the framework of the federal COVID-19 emergency action response plan alongside relevant law enforcement agencies have also been mandated to develop the modalities of ensuring easy movement of foodstuff and farm inputs.

However, law enforcement agents and the Ministry of Agriculture are to set up a joint technical task team to draw guidelines to ensure the safe operations of farmers as well as dealers and sellers of agricultural inputs during the pandemic.

The proposed joint task force will also work with security officials in the states to respond quickly to any reported struggle involving foodstuffs or livestock.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the federal government made some exemptions on its imposed curfew on Lagos, Ogun, and the Federal Capital Territories (FCT).

In a statement on Monday, March 30, the minister of finance, budget and national planning​, Zainab Ahmed, informed the public that in order not to completely shut down the nation's economy, skeletal operations in the system and money markets have been allowed to continue.

To this end, the minister said that banks have been exempted from the lockdown so that Nigerians can keep using Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) as they adhere to President Muhammadu Buhari's stay-at-home directives.

In other news, the minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika, has disclosed that he has denied five governors flight approval since the closure of the airports following the lockdown order by the federal government to check the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

Sirika made the disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday, April 21, at the daily press briefing by members of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19. He said three of the governors were members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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4 ways Nigerians are dealing with the COVID 19 lockdown | Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng