…Interventions Should Go To Farmers – Northern Youths

…As Oluremi Tinubu Urges Women To Lead In Campaign

JOY ANIGBOGU – The Middle Bet Forum (MBF) and the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) have proffered solutions to the rising food insecurity in the country, as Senator Oluremi Tinubu called on women to lead the campaign for food security in Nigeria.

The Publicity Secretary of Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Dr. Isuwa Dogo, in a chat with Daily Independent noted that among other interventions, the borders should be opened.

He said, “Banning importation of rice has outlived its usefulness. If they allow importation of rice there’s a possibility that the price of rice will drop by more than half. They should also remove the duties on the importation of rice. It’s one of the most important aspects.

“We saw in social media where the herdsmen drove their cows into people’s farms. Food security also includes the distribution, where the goods are moved from one point to another, you have security agents on the road exploiting money from them and before they get to their destinations, the prices have gone extremely high.

“The so-called palliatives of the government don’t get to the right people. A few days ago we read that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) gave N100 billion to the ministry of agriculture. Has that money reached the farmers?

“Government should subsidize fertilizers.  There was a time when the government had storage tanks across the north and also silos, they’ll release the grains to the common people at cheap prices. Local governments in states that are into farming should have tractors that they can rent during farming season at cheap prices.

Speaking on insecurity, he said, “Insecurity is not an issue that the government can’t handle. Where do the herders come from that they’ll match their cows into people’s farms to eat up their crops?

“Security agents can go around the country, and it won’t take the government more than a day to take away the guns from the herders. They should take away their guns and not doing so will make people believe that they’re sponsored by some government officials,” Dogo said.

Comrade Isah Abubakar, National President, NYCN told Daily Independent that to achieve food security, the government must ensure that interventions get to the farmers and not the other way round.

“When you talk about food security in Nigeria we’re deceiving ourselves. We have vendors that are not really farmers who benefit from Federal Government interventions as far as agriculture is concerned. How do you talk about food security without engaging the real farmers?  They engage friends and family members in the name of empowering them with agricultural interventions, leaving out the real farmers. They should work with those in agriculture and not those using agriculture as an avenue to get empowered.

“In the early 90s’ every local government in Nigeria had tractors. The tractors were provided so that the locals could hire them to farm during farming season. What has happened to that intervention scheme?

He added, “On the issue of insecurity which is affecting the major region producing food in Nigeria, which is the north. How far has the government gone in tackling insecurity so that farmers can return to farm? The reality on ground shows that we’re not ready for food security.

“Government should allow the importation of food. We should open our borders for food importation. A lot of Nigerians can no longer feed themselves.  Government must find an alternative means to feed Nigerians. Interventions shouldn’t go to government friends who are not farmers,

“Subsidize fertilizers and ensure they get to the real farmers. The former Minister of agriculture, Akinwumni Adesina had a wonderful programme regarding fertilizer distribution. The template needs to be revisited. So that farmers can directly benefit from the interventions,” Abubakar said.

Meanwhile, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has urged women to be in the forefront of the food security campaign in the country.

Busola Kukoyi, media aide to the First Lady said that Mrs. Tinubu stated this at the State House residence while unveiling her vegetable garden which she planted to encourage first time women farmers to join the ongoing Every Home A Garden Competition.

The First Lady, who has planted seven vegetables including spinach, water leaf, bitter leaf, Ewedu, lemon grass, scent leaf and okra, said a little effort on the part of every individual will go a long way in ameliorating food insufficiency.

“This little garden will be able to provide healthy vegetables enough for my household and I would definitely be able to let some of my staff have as well. The solution to any problem lies in everyone contributing their own quota to getting that solution. As a leader I must show example and plant my own garden, “she said.

She encouraged first time women farmers in the country to join the competition by planting a garden in their homes such that the produce will be sufficient to feed them and their neighbours.