FAYOS EURGES GOVERNMENT TO DECLARE EMERGENCY ON AGRIC.

The Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, wants the Federal Government to declare an emergency on the agriculture sector to achieve its aim of diversification and fighting hunger in the land.

Fayose, while declaring open a four-day agricultural summit, organised by the state government in Ado Ekiti said states are financially handicapped to invest heavily in the sector.

Fayose, who said the step became imperative in view of the dwindling revenues from the oil sector, charged the Federal Government to devote more funds to agriculture, especialy in food production to encourage more Nigerians to farming.

Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh and the founder of Afe Babalola University, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), said the country could only have economic breakthrough only if serious investment was done in agric.


In Fayose’s words: “The Federal Government should declare emergency in the agriculture sector, even there must be a bailout fund for the agriculture sector. What Nigerians need is food on their tables.

“It is sad that the state government can’t diversify again because they are financially incapacitated, so the Federal Government must come to our aid, they must bail the people out. If emergency is declared in the sector and people are attracted to farming, they can use the gains to run around and better their lives.”

Fayose counseled the Federal Government to also do more by way of increasing electricity generation in the country and in provision of storage facilities to add value to agricultural products.
He urged the traditional rulers and the residents of the state to join in the fight against illegal tree fellers, saying the government is losing huge amount through the illicit practice.

Ogbeh, who was represented by the Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture in Ekiti, Dr. Ladipo Kolade, noted that the country was prosperous during the period when agriculture was the backbone of the economy.

He said: “During these years, we can boast of good investment in groundnut, cocoa and palm oil. They were resources of our foreign earnings; there was pride and economic boom until things changed for bad.
“But President Muhammadu Buhari’s government is supporting the
farmers through the CBN agricultural loan disbursement scheme. About 94,972 farmers are to benefit under this scheme in the 2016 budget”, he said.

Babalola called for 50 percent reduction in school fees for agric related courses in the Nigeria universities, to encourage youths in acquiring professional skillsin business of food production. BY MUYIWA ADEYEMI.