The Abia State Commissioner of Police, Ms Janet Agbede, has appealed to security operatives at the state’s borders to assist the Joint Technical Task Team (JTTT) in realising the Federal Government’s objective of food security in the country by granting unhindered access to vehicles conveying foods, livestock and agricultural inputs.

Agbede, who is the Chairman of Abia State chapter of JTTT, gave the charge Monday when members of the team embarked on monitoring activities of security operatives at the borders as it affects movement of the listed goods.

The Abia JTTT team visited Imo River at the Onuimo border as well as Owerrinta. Both border posts are between Abia and Imo states.

Those who accompanied the Commissioner to the monitoring exercise were the Secretary of the Committee, Engr. Victor Ihediwa, who is also the Director of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Abia, the National ex-Officio of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in charge of South East, Ezeogo Boniface Okoro (representing Abia Council of NUJ) and Secretary of All Famers Association of Nigeria, Abia state chapter, Ndudim Ikelua, who stood in for the state chairman, Dr John Babington.

Addressing security operatives at both places, Agbede who was represented by the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of Operations in the Abia State Police Command, Mr. Philip Adejo, urged them not to delay the movement of any vehicle found to be conveying food stuff, livestock and agricultural inputs.

“Every vehicle that comes, if it has agricultural productsas in livestock, agricultural inputs or foodstuff moving into Abia or to the other states, once you see them, you don’tdelay them, allow them to move immediately.

“But there is a clause: if a vehicle that is carrying livestock or agricultural products and is also carrying more men than required to be the conductor(s) of such a vehicle, you can arrest them, because it may be with a view to conceal such people and carry them to other states which is not allowed for now. Inter-state travel is banned for now.

“The only inter-state movement allowed now is movement of foods, agricultural products and livestock. But once it is agricultural products, you should allow them passage without delay,” Agbede told the Naval Personnel at Owerrinta and the Police at Imo River border posts.

The Commissioner of Police, who inaugurated Abia JTTT on May 12, 2020 in her office, explained that the federal government set up JTTT in every state to facilitate unhindered movement of the listed goods across the federation to ensure food security even after Covid-19 pandemic, vowing that the Committee would work relentlessly to achieve its goal.

The Covid-19 induced lockdown made movement of vehicles conveying food stuff, agricultural inputs and livestock difficult, hence the establishment of JTTT by the federal government to facilitate unhindered movement for them.

She appealed to all stakeholders to cooperate with the Abia JTTT to realize the federal government’s objective.

The Federal Government in setting up JTTT in every state of the country charged them to “work with relevant agencies in the states and local government areas to develop a window that will facilitate the free and unhindered movement of food, livestock and Agricultural inputs without compromising the security and health of the nation.”

It was also mandated to “issue clear instructions to all the security personnel in the three internal security outfits of Police, Civil Defence and the Army on the need to allow free and unhindered movement of foodstuff, livestock and agricultural inputs to all parts of Nigeria.”

Its responsibility was also to “work with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to adequately educate its members in ensuring that vehicles conveying foodstuff, livestock and Agricultural inputs (excluding passengers) are allowed to pass; and ensure that ensure that adequate information clarifying the controlled movement of foodstuff, livestock and Agricultural inputs is disseminated by the Media to food transporters and security personnel.”