YOV to FG, Governors: Address acute hunger in Yorubaland
by Ganiyu Mubarak · The Eagle OnlineForemost diaspora coalition, Yoruba One Voice, has charged the Federal Government and governors of the six states in the South West region to address the spreading hunger in Yorubaland and make agriculture more attractive to the people of the South West region .
The Yoruba One Voice made the appeal to the governments at the weekend at the end of its quarterly conference held via zoom.
The conference had no fewer than 500 participants from across the six continents of the world where the diaspora organisation has a presence.
The conference, with the theme: “Rescuing Yoruba Nation From Hunger, Your Task, My Task,” according to YOV, was a timely intervention strategy serving as a wake up call to both the Federal Government and the South West Governors to devise a better approach to make agriculture more attractive to the people of the region.
In his opening remarks, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, who is also the Convener of YOV, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, said the reason for the YOV’s quarterly conference is to impress it on the government at all levels to work on the best approach at solving the problem of hunger in Yorubaland.
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Iba Adams said: “In Nigeria today, the acute hunger across the country does not know the tribe or the region.
“It does not know the colour of our skin and the dialect we speak as a race.
“It is a general issue that needs urgent solution.”
He identified rising spate of insecurity, killings and kidnapping of farmers as one of the factors affecting massive production of food, alongside lack of adequate support in terms of getting loan facility, which he also described as the obvious lacuna between the south and the northern farmers, movement of young and able youths from the village to the cities in search of white collar jobs, as well as lack of adequate knowledge in modern and mechanised farming.
While proffering solutions to the hunger in Yorubaland, Iba Adams gave insights into what he termed agricultural revolution, saying efforts should be made on improving livestock production as that is more lucrative than the other aspects of farming.
He gave a clear financial analysis of the money spent daily on cows across the South West region, insisting that more could be done in making agriculture more attractive.
He said: “Nigeria is a blessed country and Yorubaland is even the greatest beneficiary of God’s blessings.
“This is evident in the way we plant our farm produce.
“Within a few days, you see your seed grow with pride.
“All over the world, agriculture is a global business.
“Whether micro or macro agriculture.
“The success depends largely on the need to expand the scope and advance the technological and mechanical advantage in agriculture production.
“Today, Nigeria and the South West are no longer the largest producers of cocoa, but we can still dictate and drive the market if the governors can do a reform that can help our agriculture sector.
“In today’s world, there are ways to plant and harvest cocoa within a short period of time.
“Let me say two to three years.
“And you get your results.
“We cannot use the old methods to solve today’s problems.
“More importantly, another major factor that has affected our farmers in the South West is the obvious loan facility lacuna between the Northern farmers and the Southern farmers.”
The Guest Speaker, Prince Adeyemi Omisakin, also dwelt on the need to focus more on giving the necessary support to farmers.
Omisakin regretted that the emergence of civilisation and the growing shapes of modernism gradually erode the respect given to farmers, saying farming is a noble job that had been socially reduced to the works of the peasants, illiterates or commoners.
Hence the reference to farmers as: “Ara oko, a be do paa li (The villagers with thick livers or senseless beings).”
He said: “There’s need to focus on not only the need for the present Yoruba societies to return to the lands, but how to also conduct productive farming activities effectively, even at cheaper rates, so as to rescue our already degenerated societies from the pangs of present hunger and to regain our nobilities among the comity of nations.”
He urged the Federal Government and the six governors of the South West region to look inwards in addressing the basic problem of hunger by giving adequate support to locally made products.
Omisakin said: “There is also a dearth of local food production while the prices of imported food increases almost every day as a result of exchange rates, among other factors.
“Overdependence on imported foods such as rice, a bag which is sold at more than N80,000 at the moment.
“Beans are even costlier.
“In fact, the yet to be paid new minimum wage in the country cannot even buy a bag of either of them.”
The YOV General Secretary, Prince Adedokun Ademiluyi, said with Nigeria’s huge population of about 230 million people, there is the need for adequate food security.
Ademiluyi said: “The Nigerian government must address the issue of food shortage and hunger as urgently as it is possible.
“No country of Nigeria’s population can survive the growing threats that is emanating from spreading hunger if it didn’t take good care of its huge population.
“It will be a major disaster for Nigeria to continue to live in denial, without making adequate plan for its huge population as the need for food security is very important now than before.”
Meanwhile, Professor Kolawole Raheem in his remarks said the present administration must work out a well-coordinated regional template that will include all the six states in the South West.
Raheem added that the intention is to address food scarcity in Yorubaland and further strengthen the bond that will enhance agricultural prospects in the South West.
He said: “Let us revive the farm settlements created by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo across Yorubaland.
“It will go a long way in solving all the problems associated with hunger and famine in Yorubaland.”
Iyalode Abike Ade also emphasised the need to boost local farming in Yorubaland, adding that grassroots farming across South West has the potential of saving Yorubaland from hunger.
Ade said YOV will not relent in its efforts to address the fundamental issues affecting the Yoruba race.
She said: “We are a blessed race and the best we can do now is to engage in local farming that will take care of our needs at the grassroots level.”
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