Sustained massive food production only way to conquer nationwide hunger – Gov Soludo

…Explains why Anambra shunned nationwide protest

By Cajetan Mmuta, Awka

As part of measures for sustainable action against hunger in Anambra State, the governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo has launched Operation Farm to Feed Campaign.

This was made known on Saturday during the flag off of the initiative at Amansea community in Awka North council area of the state.

The governor also pledged an award to the best and largest farmer amongst all the executives of his government, political appointees, traditional rulers and President Generals of the 179 communities across the 21 local government areas and three Senatorial districts in Anambra’.

He said the only solution to the prevailing hunger across the country is for all to embrace massive and increased framing of food crops to feed families, communities and the nation at large.

Soludo tasked citizens of the state to embark on massive production of food crops through subsistence farming and degenerative (organic) farming in order to conquer the spate of hunger ravaging most parts of the country.

While commending youths and citizens of the state as well as other states in the Southeast geo-political zone of the country for not joining others states in the ongoing #Endbadgovernance# protest, the governor noted that the only solution to the perennial food scarcity and hunger is for all to move into farming to feed families, the state and the nation.

“The song sang by the legendary Sunny Okosun in 1984 about Nigeria, you will think that the song was sang yesterday and it simply tells us that Nigeria has been singing songs of lamentation for decades and it did not start today ”

“The fact is that we neglected agriculture, we neglected operation feed the Nation, green revolution and he said that was our doom”

He blamed the cause of the #EndbadGovernance protest on the nation’s loss of focus in agriculture adding that Nigerians must go back to intensive farming.

Soludo further explained that the reason why Anambra state did not participate in the ongoing nationwide protests was because the state believes in converting challenges into opportunities or solutions.

Reminiscing one of the hit tracks of the Edo-born songster and Ozzidi King, Sunny Okosun in his “Which Way Nigeria,” of 1984, Soludo said that what is needed at the moment is to turn challenges into solutions.

According to him, this is an initiative and a deal between the citizens’ collective action in partnership with the state government through the provision of incentives in order to massively produce agricultural foods to feed the homes, and families across the state.

He said the youths of the state have become resolute in taking their destinies into their hands by finding solutions rather than embarking on mass protests.

“Some are protesting in some parts of Nigeria but Anambra state is not protesting and I want to thank Anambra youths who have maintained peace and going about their businesses and all the markets in Anambra state are open, ” he said.

“The youths have resolved that they want to take their destinies into their own hands to take positive steps to move their state and their country forward ”

“They are not protesting not because they don’t feel the pains but because they want to be part of the solution.”

“Today what we have come to launch is the issue of collective citizen action in partnership with government to eradicate hunger once and for all in Nigeria”

“It is now time to do something and today we want to launch an initiative to turn our challenges into opportunities ”

Soludo also recalled; “We fought the Civil War here in this part of Nigeria and there was nothing to eat and people were dying of kwashiorkor but we survived and this time again they say hunger in the land and we say we will not only survive, we will help to feed the rest of the Country ” he added.