Food Blockage: Food Blockage by North to South-West, It’s Cold War Against South-West—Agbekoya

In its reaction, the Agbekoya Farmers’ Society described the blockade as a cold war against the South-West, noting that Nigeria is in crisis and on the brink of a collapse.

Agbekoya’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olatunji Bandele, said: “This is practically a cold war against the South-West. When you block the transportation of food items to a particular set of people, you have declared war on such people.

“We don’t have to deceive ourselves again, Nigeria is in crisis and on the brink of collapse. The northerners are ready to overrun the South because they believe they are the owners of Nigeria.

“Now, talking about the food blockage to the South, the South and the South-West governors should have a rethink about how to revamp our farmlands, which the criminal herdsmen and their cattle have destroyed and find ways to resettle the South-West farmers who have been displaced from their villages and farms in the last few years.

“Secondly, South-West governors and our leaders must come together and brainstorm on a grand plan for commercial, mechanized farming and agricultural policy that is farmers-oriented, instead of playing politics with agriculture.

“This is where Agbekoya Farmers Association will be much needed because we have over 20,000 hectares of farmland all over the South-West that can be used for cluster farming for easy mechanization but our governors are not ready to assist Agbekoya farmers with funds, agricultural inputs and fertilizers.

“The Northerners and their leaders have been preparing for this war a long time ago, first they have been assisting their farmers financially, and also making sure they have access to agricultural inputs and fertilizer but South-West governors and our leaders are busy playing selfish politics, instead of helping South-West farmers directly.

“The Federal Government has been playing politics with agriculture since inception of this administration by abandoning cassava farmers in the South-West and favoured northern rice farmers with huge investment in rice farming and rice mills.

“This is the time for the South-West governors and our leaders to wake up and face the reality of food security in South-West.”

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