Bishop Akachukwu Says Open Border, Importation Won’t Solve Food Crisis; Urges Govt To Declare Emergency In Agric Sector

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Against the backdrop of the lingering lalarming 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 Agriculturalists by training, however, Profered 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 soumounted, governments, particularly president Ahmed Bola Tinubu and state governors must muster the political will to invest massively in the Agricuitral sector, encourage establishment of farm settlements in Local government areas, and deployment of extension workers to such palces, pointing g out that abandond government facilities could be used for such settlements.

The Cleric, added that the issue of alledged 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 equipments, stressing that such development would equally help in boosting merchanize 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 merchanized farming are encouraged with incentives, it would boost food production that would lead to exportation which will earn foregin 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 governments areas of the country would no doubt create massive employments for the teeming unemployed people* she stated.

“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 mearnt 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 researches 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.