*Says scarcity will persist until govt declares emergency in agric sector
*Advocates revival of farm settlements across LGAs, deployment of corp members to farm settlements
By; KELVIN OKPARA, Enugu
Against the backdrop of the lingering alarming food crisis and economic hardship ravaging Nigeria, the African- Head Coordinator of Ministers Prayer Network, Apostolic Women, and female Bishop, Deborah Macfoy Akachukwu, has asked governments at all levels to as a matter of urgency, start investing heavily in the agricultural sector, saying reopening of closed borders or importation of food won’t solve the problem.
The Prophetess, who is also an agriculturalist by training, however, proffered some solutions she feels are capable of bringing about food sufficiency in the country, if sincerely applied by political leaders.
She insisted that for the challenge to be overcome, governments, particularly President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and state governors must muster the political will to invest massively in the agricultural sector, encourage establishment of farm settlements in local government areas, and deploy extension workers to such places, pointing g out that abandoned government facilities could be used for such settlements.
The cleric added that the issue of alleged massive corruption in the distribution of subsidized farm implements such as fertilizers and soft loans to farmer by relevant government agencies, especially Ministry of Agriculture, should be looked into sincerely.
Bishop Akachukwu, who is the vision bearer of the popular Revival City International Retreat Conference Centre Enugu, spoke to newsmen in Enugu on the current hunger in the land, warning that if nothing is urgently done to address the situation, famine may be imminent in Nigeria.
She further opined that the time has come for the federal government to order the Nigerian Customs service NCS, to start granting duty waiver to imported foreign agricultural equipment, stressing that such development would equally help in boosting mechanized farming and massive food production in the country.
The woman of God, suggested that in the face of the crisis, the National Youths Service Corp (NYSC), should begin mass deployment of corp members to farm settlements and other Agricultural facilities as places of their primary assignments
She posited that if rural and mechanized farming are encouraged with incentives, it would boost food production that would lead to exportation which will earn foreign exchange for the country.
“So, the time has come for governments at all levels to start prioritizing agriculture, give it the attention it deserve.
“Establishment of farm settlements in all the local government areas of the country, would no doubt, create massive employment for the teeming unemployed people.
“There is also need for governments to have a correct data base of genuine Farmers in various states, so as to address the issue of non farmers benefiting from government incentives more than those it is meant for.
“Government should improve seriously on the nation’s food storage system, the silos must be functional, let’s join hands together in promoting the agro sector for the interest of our people. Government sould engage our universities agriculture professors in areas of research on improved seedlings of various crops.
“To ensure a robust and transparent system, government should also put in place a functional commodity board that would help in driving the food production space, activate all the River Basin Authorities across the country, as well as tackle the insecurity in the land headlong.
“Food is something that is consumed okay! And in Nigeria today, we have too many forces and factors that are colliding, they are battling with foreign exchange reserves, we are battling with foreign exchange rates, we are also battling with importation crisis.
“We are battling with so many things at the same time. So, if you ask people to import food, it is going to worsen the present dollar exchange rate situation. So it’s not going to be a solution.
“It is going to maybe give people a small relief, but i think it is only going to worsen inflation itself, because as long as we’re not exporting, and we’re importing and inflation is not stable the cost of anything, as regarding purchased, has continue to aggravate.
