By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan.
National Chairman and former Presidential Candidate of National Action Council (NAC), Dr Olapade Agoro on Tuesday described the meeting of the Governors of the South West geopolitical zone held in Ibadan on Monday as a commendable intention but with wrong directional approach.
Dr Agoro who said this in a statement made available to newsmen in Ibadan declared that the meeting was “a portrayal of ambient culture of self deceit, insincerity and spirit of truth lacking”.
According to Dr Agoro, the SW governors meeting “was a containment of politicking devoid of developmental human benefiting pragmatic approach”.
He stressed that the South Western region known in the years past “particularly before the advent of oil, as providers of first of its type in Africa developmental strides, agricultural prowess for self sustenance leaving more than enough for export for foreign exchange earnings, industrial set up and industries for self developing and education facilities and capabilities far beyond the ordinary in the whole of Africa has become mere shadow of itself.
“Unfortunately the glory of the South West largely encompassing the Yoruba race had been allowed to be eroded and gone to the dogs to lap. The altruism of the ugly scenario that befell the Yoruba of South West region will be found in the fact that we have been sadly deprived of good leadership qualities of self last others first the type our forefathers were known for”,he said.
Dr Agoro added that “what good reasons can the South West Governors adduce for modern day Yoruba race relying on Yam tubers mistakenly termed called ‘Isu Abuja’, Tatase, Atarodo peppers, Onions, Ofada rice, cow meats brought down from the North to feed our people”.
“The truth must be faced that Yoruba race of South West compost has no duty with food importation from any where in the world. It becomes apt to mention that a people that cannot produce enough to feed itself has lost the pride of being related with as people. A nation that cannot feed itself cannot be worth being kept alive”.
Dr Agoro maintained that “come year 2017, the primary focus and intentions of all the Governors in the Yoruba South West must be food production for self feeding and for export”.
“There can be found no good reasons why Lagos State with abundant of water and river resources can not produce fish, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun States having more than enough arable lands producing more than enough palm oil, grains, yams, meats, cocoa, atarodo, tatase et al to feed the whole expanse of West Africa. The problem is that we are not only political jobbers but are mentally lazy. There can be found no good reasons why traditional rulers should be hanging round political office holders for sustenance”.
The NAC leader said “my point is that any traditional rulers that cannot be a leader leading by example having and cultivating farms to produce food not only for his house hold but to sell on market days should be thrown out into the gutter of shame”.
Emphasizing that President Muhammadu Buhari while declaring his assets made us to know that he was among others of his virtues a very proud cattle breeder while former President Olusegun Obasanjo is a very good example of being a famer, Dr Agoro said “unfortunately the present day political office holders and traditional rulers are not only political hangovers but shameful dependents of dropping from political office purse”. .
He then stressed that “to make change meaningful, the South West Governors slogan from now must be Yoruba for Agriculture self sufficiency – Agriculture for our envisage development”.
