As the present alarming food scarcity and high cost continues unabated in Nigeria, a female Cleric and Agriculturalist, Bishop Deborah Macfoy Akachukwu, has enjoined government at all levels to as a matter of urgency design a robust and realistic strategic plan for the nation’s Agricultural sector, saying no amount of food importation into the country would tackle the problem......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
Prophetess Dr. Mrs Akachukwu, who is the Spiritual leader of the famous Revival City International Retreat and prayer Center Enugu, also asserted that the only way out of the mess is for policy makers in all tiers of governments, federal, state and Council areas, to stop paying lip services to the Agricultural sector.
While proffering solutions to some of the problems, the Clergy woman stated that it is no longer news that Nigerians are dying of hunger in their own father land richly endowed with abundant natural resources and fantastic vegetation owing to wrong policies by those in Authorities.
Speaking with newsmen weekend in her office in Enugu on the present economic hardship being faced by Nigerians, particularly as it concerns food scarcity and high cost, the renowned Agriculturist turned Cleric, noted that the most worrisome aspect of the ugly situation is that the nation’s political leaders are yet to come to terms with the ugly development.
“For me, it is quite unfortunate and worrisome that the Nigerian governments don’t even know that we have a serious problem in our hands regarding this food insecurity. Because it’s only when someone knows that he or she has a problem that is when the person will begin to seek solution”
“How do we tackle the overwhelming challenge, when there is no realistic strategic plan for the Agric Sector on ground. What we are currently experiencing in Nigeria is famine which may not end soonest, untill those in charge of policy making do the needful”
The Bishop regretted that the situation which has continued to linger unaddressed, has adversely affected other sectors of Nigeria’s economy, because the food chain problem, she noted, always touches every aspect of the economy, adding that no amount of importation can solve the problem.
“So, what Nigeria as a nation needs now urgently to tackle this serious problem which cannot be solved just one day, is for the various political Chief Executives, the president, governors and local government Chairmen to rise up and start engaging experts in Agriculture to assist them come up with sincere practicable strategic plan.
While urging all Nigerians to pick up their farm implements and return to the bush for land cultivation, she also called on governments to start looking inwards on how to revive some of the abandoned agricultural programmes that boosted food production in the past across the country such as establishment of farm settlements in all the 774 local governments areas of Nigeria.
“Governments should create the enabling environment for our farmers, provide them with the needed equipment, improved seedlings and highly subsidised fertilizer.
“Members of the National Youth Service Corps NYSC, like I said in my previous interview, should be massively deployed to farm settlements across the country for their primary assignments. School Heads should reintroduce
school farming system in their respective areas. Let every one irrespective of your status embrace farming be it local or merchandise.
According to the first female Bishop in Enugu State, South East Nigeria, “the problem is policy making and implementation, and not manpower. We have the needed competent agricultural experts that have all it takes to change the narrative if given the task and encouragement by those in Authorities.
“Governments should also begin to encourage farmers in various parts of the country in crops and produce they have Comparative advantage in, through soft loans and other Agricultural incentives from government owned institutions such as Bank of Agriculture and industry.
She equally counselled president Ahmed Bola Tinubu and the state governors to imbibe the culture of prioritizing projects, positing that the idea of delving into multiple infrastructural development at the same time, had always been counterproductive and ended up creating room for project abandonment.
“So, what I am really saying is that governments should learn how to tackle problems one after the other, and not to be Jack of all trades, and master of none” we must always identify our challenges first of all, and start addressing them in order of priority.
The Bishop, who is equally the founder of WinAfrica TV, the revival Army and African Head -Coordinator of Ministers prayer Network Apostolic Women
However, expressed dismay that most often, political policy makers in Nigeria formulate only policies and programmes that protect their selfish interest, rather than those that will help in reducing the suffering of the poor masses who gave them the mandate to be at the saddle of power.
“Our political leaders sometimes are not realistic in their approach to things of governance, and it is high time they start being sincere and realist, because that is the only way to get the nation out of the present economic and political quagmire we find ourselves in as a nation.
Bishop Akachukwu further added that “Our Governments at all levels must as a matter of urgent importance declare emergency in the Agricultural sector, review our outdated and obselate Agric policies, and replace them with the modern day international best practices.
“Lets key into modern technology driven farming systems like Israel and Ukraine and other countries of the world that have made themselves the food basket of the globe. Issue of food storage must also be seriously looked into for us to address the food insecurity challenge.
“Am also using this medium to call on governments at all levels to launch massive attacks on this famine facing the nation.The federal government should equally as a matter of urgency take the issue of developing improved irrigation systems in parts of the country very seriously, as well as strengthen the River Basin Authorities.