Hunger Will Last Longer Than Expected – Ogbeh

Hunger Will Last Longer Than Expected – Ogbeh

During the ‘One man, one hectare’ demonstration in Ezillo, Ebonyi State yesterday, Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh stated that the hunger in the country will last longer than expected.

The doomsday prophecy however had a silver lining as he noted that Nigeria could still swim out of hunger if it pursued farming with determination the virtue of hardwork.

Speaking at the event, Ogbeh laid the blame thick on past administrations, stating that they were responsible for the present crisis.

According to Ogbeh; “Past administrations in the country depended wholly on oil and resorted to massive importation. The country imported virtually every item; from toothpicks to palm produce but, the country doesn’t have money again to import.”

“The hunger in the land might last for a while, but soon, there will be enough food in the country and also for export.”

The honourable minister expressed hope in the ‘One man, one hectare’  initiative while stating that political office holders also had farmlands in the demonstration farm.

“All political office holders in the executive and legislature have farmlands in this demonstration farm as the programme would be the order of the day in the state.

“We want to excel in palm produce sector as we have done in rice production,  as we are going to plant the produce at 10 metres of verges of roads in state and federal roads.”
He added that all citizens of the state would cultivate at least one hectare because the government did not want any land to lie fallow.

He noted that the efforts of the Federal Government in vigorously pursuing farming.

“Government will provide machines for Ebonyi State for the harvesting of rice and other farm produce and those to prepare crop nursery before planting.”

“The Federal Government will inaugurate dams in all states of the country in the next two years, to ensure all year farming activities.”

Governor of Ebonyi, David Umahi noted that the state was into agricultural revolution to make its economy self-sufficient.