Food as we all know is one of the basic necessities of life, adequacy of food is the reason why the rich and the poor sleep in comfort; without food, therefore, all would definitely perish.
Farmers play a very important role in getting the nation to feed itself. Sadly, these days our farmers are no longer enjoying the fruits of their hard work due to less priority given to agriculture by governments. Nigeria in the past relied on agriculture as a major source of its income. But the discovery of crude oil in 1956 made government give less attention to agriculture.
Most of our famers still use those outdated equipment and methods to till the soil, plant the seeds and harvest their produce, when the world has since moved ahead.
Insecurity has further aggravated the situation recently as many farmers have been displaced from their homes and farms and could not cultivate. In 2020, over 47 farmers were slaughtered in Zabarmari of Borno State by insurgents. Many were kidnapped in other places in the North.
The skyrocketing prices of fertilisers, simple farm tools and herbicides have further complicated the situation of the small scale farmer.
Thus, in order to nip the disaster waiting to happen in the bud, governments at all levels should provide security to all nooks and crannies to enable farmers to feel secure to return to their farms.
Also, government should provide subsidies for modern farm implements to raise the productivity of our farmers.
More extension services should be provided to rural farmers to guide them into modern ways of cultivating the land and getting maximum yield.
There is no doubting the fact that the country is drastically drifting towards the “State of nature” but the government owes it a duty to fulfil every terms of the social contract it willingly entered with the people for the sake of maintaining the continued existence of this edifice. Anything other than the urgent intervention of the government would definitely consume a country that is already sitting on a keg of gunpowder.
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) in Section 14(2b) is also very clear on what the primary responsibility of every government should be, which is the “provision of security and welfare services for the people”.
Today, under a government that declared to guarantee the security of lives and properties, our best and brightest people are being killed daily, making the country exhibit all the characteristics of a failed State.
Barely a week ago, the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Samuel Kanu-Uche, was kidnapped for ransom.
On Sunday, criminal-minded elements invaded St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo, leaving a countless number of persons dead with many others sustaining injuries.
Beyond extending condolences and in addressing security issues, the Nigerian government should stop acting helpless. Rather, the government must ensure that all police officers that are attached to political office holders and other persons, except some key individuals, be withdrawn and deployed to the field.
It is also unimaginable that in a country with over 200 million people, there are just 371,000 police officers to provide security. We should therefore make deliberate efforts to increase the number to provide effective security to the nation.
Governments at all levels must be up and doing in combating crime. And, in doing this, we need political and leadership will.
Kazeem Olalekan Israel (GANI) resides in Ibadan
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