By Michael Nnebife
A member representing Ekwusigo Constituency in Anambra State House of Assembly, Engr Ikenna Ofodeme, has appealed to the federal and all levels of government in Nigeria to live up to their essence by providing adequate security of life and property to enable farmers to return to farms.
Hon Ofodeme, who made the appeal recently in a media programme in Awka, attributed the cause of the rising food scarcity in Nigeria to insecurity of life and property induced by cattle rearers and insurgent organizations, such Boko Haram, Eastern Security Network, among others.
Ofodeme noted with dismay that if the situation was allowed to continue, the rising food scarcity would get to a worse level.
The Anambra lawmaker expressed disgust at the president’s recent order to customs to release all seized food items in the borders as a response to the situation, insisting that insecurity was where the problem lay.
He said, ‘The role of the government is to make sure that there is peace and security in society. If there will be peace and security, the issues of scarcity of food, every other thing surrounding development and other things would end,’ the lawmaker said.
Ofodeme further appealed to people whose relations engaged in acts of terrorism and criminality in the country to advise them to desist from the act, so that farmers would go back to the farms comfortably.
Hon Ofodeme, who is the Majority Leader in the state assembly, however, commended the state Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, for recovering most of the areas in the state that insurgents had captured.
