By Chinyere Anyanwu [email protected]
Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has urged the Federal Government to invest in the development of northern Nigeria’s agricultural potential to tackle the persisting food insufficiency crisis.
Obi, who said that Nigeria currently ranks 109 in the global index of hungry nations in the world, was on a private ramadan visit to Kebbi State as part of tours to support and see things the way they are in northern part of the country.
Obi, who was received at the government house by Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Yakubu Bala Tafida, insisted that Nigeria is poor and hungry because the Federal Government has refused to holistically invest in agriculture. He noted that such investments must be directed to the north which possesses vast arable land for peasant and mechanised farming.
Obi explained that with agriculture Nigeria would bid forex crisis, insecurity, poor education and unaffordable healthcare delivery goodbye because the country’s exports would bring forex, hence, the importance of production economy.
Speaking further, the LP presidential candidate lamented that Nigeria has the highest number of uncultivated land in the world accompanying mass able bodied unemployed youths that could have been used to drive massive agricultural investment to produce millions of direct and indirect jobs in the country.
Obi, who was received at the Emir of Gwandu’s Palace, by the royal father, the Emir of Gwandu, Muhammadu Illiyasu Bashar, announced direct ramadan feeding of 100 indigent persons as well as the commissioning of borehole at Kahuta village behind Dukku Army Barracks, Birnin Kebbi. “We are here to support with water and some little financial assistance because this is a private visit not political,” he said.
He stated that he is not desperate to become Nigeria’s president but desperate to see the country working and desperate to see the poor man’s children becoming somebody without anybody.
Responding, the emir of Gwandu,Muhammadu Illiyasu Bashar thanked him for the visit describing him as a long term friend, he therefore call on Nigerian leaders to note mr Obi’s advice of investing in the northern agricultural sector to drive away poverty in the region and country.