Abia governor says importation of rice should be discouraged
– Encourages members of his cabinet to own a farm each
– Tasks President Buhari’s administration to get alternatives for survival
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state has removed foreign rice from his food menu.
The
executive governor of Abia state, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu has reportedly
boycotted the eating of foreign rice, Eagle Online reports.
The
governor, it was gathered, has refused to take foreign rice in the last
six months as he has reportedly struck it out of his menu.
His
reason is that he wants to demonstrate to everybody worldwide that
Nigeria, with her rich agricultural potentials, has the capacity to fend
for itself in food production.
He said: “We cannot be blessed
with the kind of arable land we have in the North and the fertile
rainforest in the South and still be dependent as a country on foreign
food.”
The governor informed further that as a way of tackling
the prevailing economic challenges caused by the global oil slide, the
country must develop a new policy that will not allow importation of
foreign foods, rather encourage the cultivation of local foods.
While
stressing that this is time for Nigerians to value the richness of our
local menu, he advised the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration
to look for alternative measures of survival in agriculture.
Ikpeazu,
who is presently leading an agricultural revolution in the state has
ordered all members of his executive council and principal officers to
own a farm this year, stating said they must return to land in order to
recover its original status as the food haven of Nigeria.
This latest move by the Abia governor is coming after his
Lagos
state counterpart recently partnered with Governor Atiku Bagudu of
Kebbi state to put an end to the importation of rice and see to the
processing and distribution of food between the two states.
The
partnership is aimed at bringing about national food sufficiency and
food security, as well as creating employment and wealth distribution
for the benefit of both states and the nation in general