The Companion urges goverment to take drastic measures on food security

The Federal Government has been urged to take more drastic measures towards combating insecurity in the country, in order to give more confidence to famers and guarantee food security for the populace.

The National Amir of The Companion (a group of Muslim Professionals), Alhaji Thabit Wale Sonaike made this call in Lagos yesterday, noting that incidents of community invasion, banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery have become so rampant that lives and property are no longer safe.

Sonaike, during a press conference on the forthcoming National Discourse themed: “Food Security: Unleashing Nigeria’s Natural Potential For Self Sufficiency”, said there can never be food security without adequate security for lives and properties.He said already millions of farmers have either been displaced from their farmlands or dispossessed of their farmland.

“All of these have negative impact on food production and constitute a major threat to food security no matter the beauty of agricultural policy put in place. While we commend the government on the decision to recruit 10,000 police men, in a bit to combat this menace, it is unfortunate however, that many years after this pronouncement; the recruitment is still in progress. What does it really take to recruit 10,000 policemen in the midst of millions of unemployed youth in the country? Those concerned should be called to order,” he said.

The fourth national discourse, slated for University of Lagos, on Sunday July 14, 2019, will feature Vice President Professsor Yemi Osinbajo as the keynote speaker. Other expected experts and stakeholders are; Professor Fola Lasisi, a renowned expert in Agricultural-Engineering and former Vice Chancellor, University of Uyo as the guest speaker and immediate past Governor of State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf. Aregbesola, as the Chairman.

Citing a recent global report on food crisis, Sonaike said it was reported that no fewer than 113 million people experienced high levels of food insecurity in the world’s most severe food crises in 2018 and Nigeria was named as one of the eight countries in the world mostly affected.

“These eight countries accounted for two-thirds of the total number of people facing acute food insecurity, amounting to nearly 72 million people,” he said.

Sonaike said this report was rather ironical especially against the backdrop of widely reported cases of huge increase in local food production across various food crops like rice, cassava, sorghum, maize among others in the country due largely to various favourable agricultural policies put in place and implemented by the government at all levels.

“It is also curious that while it is acknowledged that Nigeria is the highest producer of yam and cassava worldwide, yet the country is categorized as a food insecure nation with heavy reliance on importation of grains, livestock products and fish. With a projected population of over 233 million by 2025, the concern for food security in the nearest future is palpable and calls for concern and immediate action by the populace and the government.”He said the group chose to focus on food security because food undoubtedly, is the most basic of all human survival needs and the starting chain of the economy as well as the base for daily life.