Date Published: 10/16/11

Ajimobi re-states commitment to food sustenance in Oyo

The Oyo State Government says it will introduce agricultural programmes in its post-primary schools to ensure food sufficiency.

Gov. Abiola Ajimobi announced this on Sunday during a special church service to mark the “World Food Day” at the Methodist Bishops’ House, Molete, Ibadan.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural and Natural Resources, Mr Bimbo Kolade, noted that the programme was aimed at bringing the youths back to agriculture.

He expressed the commitment of his administration to ensure food sufficiency in the state to make it less dependent on import.

``My administration is making efforts at ensuring food sustenance in all the nooks and crannies of the state, so as to bring about less dependence on imported food by the people of the state.''

The governor explained that the programme would be piloted in one school in each of the 33 local governments in the state, with focus on three major farm systems which included poultry, fisheries and planting of vegetables.

He urged Nigerians to cultivate the habit of having home gardens where series of vegetables could be planted for domestic consumption.

``This will ensure that people eat fresh farm produce, which would make them healthier and also help families safe some money.''

He pledged the readiness of the state government to collaborate with religious organisations to spread the gospel of “going back to the land” for the development of agriculture and provision of sufficient food for the masses.

Ajimobi said that the state government had also commenced the distribution of fertiliser to farmers, adding that the distribution of the commodity had commenced in Afijio and Iseyin local governments respectively.

In his sermon, Very Rev. Williams Egbetakin, stressed the need for government to place emphasis on food security, with a view to improving the lot of the people, adding that the provision of food was a way of salvation.

Egbetakin also urged the people of the state and Nigerians in general to develop interest in keeping gardens to prevent hunger, poverty and violence.

(NAN)