The House of Representatives has set up a special committee to investigate the high cost of food items and commodities in the country.
The committee, which was set up on Wednesday, is to be chaired by the Deputy Leader of the House, Peter Akpatason (APC, Edo).
The setting of the committee followed the adoption of a motion moved by Ibrahim Isiaka (APC, Ogun).
The mandates of the committee are as follows; “To launch an investigative hearing with all critical stakeholders in the country and carry out the root cause analysis on the rising cost of living.
“Initiate policies needed for addressing the skyrocketing prices of goods and services in the country.
“Engagement with Captain of Industries, Trade Unions Associations, Board of Directors, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and others promoters in the economic sectors, on ways for a drastic reduction in prices of goods and services in the country.
In a motion sponsored by Hon. Ibrahim Adekunle Isiaka on the floor of the House on Wednesday, he expressed concern that if there was no immediate intervention over the skyrocketing cost of goods and services, the difficulty it would bring on citizens will be unbearable.
The lawmaker, who brought the motion entitled: “Urgent need to investigate the skyrocketing prices of commodities, goods and services across the nation with a view to cushioning the impact on the citizens”
expressed deep concern that Nigerians were already finding it difficult to cope.
Citing the high cost of cooking gas, baby foods and others, he urged the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila to look into the motion, while urging his colleagues to also consider the motion for a solution to what he described, “daily increase of good stuff and other commodities.”
Isiaka attributed the high cost of commodities in the market to uncontrollable factors with inflation at a 48-month high.
According to him, Nigerians were looking up to the parliament to proffer solution to the cost of goods and services in other to force down the cost of basic items like housing, shelter, medicals, clothes baby food and even cooking gas, noting that the nation’s local production still falls short of local demands.
He further argued that population growth, and climate change were also responsible for hike in price, while he insisted that lawmakers must rise to the occasion.
