Lawmaker wants government to give more attention to agriculture

A lawmaker, Mr Murtala Sodangi, has appeal to the three tiers of government to give more priority to the agricultural sector.

Sodangi, who represent Nasarawa Central constituency in the House of Assembly, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Nasawara, Nasarawa Local Government on Monday.

He said according agriculture priority would help fight poverty, unemployment and boost socioeconomic development of the country.

The lawmaker said that for the country to overcome its present economic challenges, both the governments and individuals must increase investment and accord priority to agriculture to better the standard of living of Nigerians.

“As a politician and a stakeholder, for Nigeria to tackle it present economic challenges, both the governments and individuals needed to give premium to agriculture if the country must live beyond oil in order to improve on the standard of living of the people.

“Nigerians, especially the youths, have to go back to farm in order to ensure food security, to become self-reliant as well as to boost the revenue and the socioeconomic development of the state and the country at large.

“No society can live comfortably without agriculture. Agriculture is the major source of live hood of every family, nation and its importance can not be overemphasised to the development of any society.

“If youths and other Nigerians embrace farming, it will not only reduce overdependence on oil but the present hardship and economic challenges facing the nation’s will be a thing of the past,” he said.

Sodangi also advised Nigerians, especially the youths to shun idleness, embrace skills acquisition programmes and engage in others meaningful ventures to become self-reliant and to contribute their quota to national development.

He also called on Nigerian to pray for God’s intervention for quick recovery of the nation’s economy to better the standard of living of the people, adding that prayers is key to success.

The lawmaker assured the people of his constituency of his continued commitment to initiate people-oriented programmes to better their standard of living.

Sodangi advised the youths and other Nigerians to be law abiding, respect constituted authority and to shun negative tendencies at all the time in the interest of peace.

He further urged the people of the state and other Nigerians to live in peace and tolerate one another irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliation.