Hold FG responsible if there’s shortage of food – Ogbeh

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Chief Audu Ogbe has advised Nigerians to hold government responsible in the event of failure of food supply.
The Minister who was represented by Professor.G. B. Ayoola, at the Kogi Agricultural Summit 2017, on Monday, stated that Nigerians have the right to adequate food.
Ogbe said that states should be concerned with formulation of agricultural policy to ensure its implementation for the benefit of the people.

The Minister said food security should be viewed from the perspective of a right of the people as such government must meet the needs of its people.

He explained that until governments see food as human right no serious impact will be made towards achieving the desired food security despite colossal amount of money spent every year by the various tiers of governments.

Food security is a responsibility of governments and for them to succede they should formulate policies that will be acceptable and beneficial to the people”, Ogbe said.
He therefore commended Kogi State government for keying into the federal government agricultural policy and its commitment to establish cash crops for the local industries and export.

Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has praised the federal government giant stride in encouraging massive local production of rice which had facilitated the current sharp drop in the importation of the product to Nigeria.

The governor gave the commendation while declaring open, Kogi Agricultural Summit, 2017 with the “Theme Agriculture: Investment opportunities and the launch of Fair Agric Project (FAP) held in Lokoja the state capital on Monday.

Bello who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr (Mrs) Ayoade Folashade Arike disclosed that his administration had keyed into the federal government laudable initiative to diversify the nation’s economy via agriculture describing the development as a right step in the right direction worthy of emulation.

The governor who vowed to leave resounding legacies in agricultural sector in the state, reiterated his assurance to continue to provide enabling environment for agriculture to thrive in the state.

He said that his administration had allowed youth and women participation in agriculture to reduce the alarming unemployment situation in the state adding that government had also encouraged the exportation of agric products that are in abundant across the state such as cassava and rice.

In his welcome address, the state commissioner of Agriculture, Kehinde Oloruntoba lauded the state government gesture to declare a state of emergency on Agriculture by embarking on mechanised system of agriculture to ensure food security and boost massive local production of agric products.

The commissioner enumerated some major achievements of Governor Bello’s administration since assumption of office in the agricultural sector to include; procurement of Tractors and other farming equipment worth billions of naira as well as establishment of one thousand fish ponds and one thousand boreholes to enhance agricultural activities across the state.

The Facilitator of the programme and Managing Director of the Kogi Agricultural Development Project (ADP), Paul Okatahi, in his remark, challenged Youths in the state to complement government’s efforts to Carter for their wellbeing by embracing agriculture and be proud to be a farmer as “There are no longer White Collar Jobs to absorb them in the labour market”.

Okatahi also called on the traditional rulers in the state not to relent in playing their complementary role of mobilizing and sensitising their subjects to embark on agric describing “The Sector as the only alternative for citizens to earn a living with ease

Idris Ahmed, Lokoja