As the nation swims across oceans of crisis, it would seem less difficult to realize the essence of food production and preservation in our land. Food security has become so important in our nationhood trajectories, that almost all other crisis pales into insignificance. Food security forms the tripodal necessities of mankind from the beginning of creation. The time honored axiom that a hungry man is truly a angry man can not be discountenance. As population increases, there are corresponding pressures on available natural resources including agricultural production. This has resulted in acute shortage of food resources to feed the teeming population.
Successive governments have only but paid lip service to agricultural revolution and have often misapplied it’s priorities in this regard. It is very disheartening that agriculture which used to be our mainstay in the years gone by and made popular among adults and growing children have lost its steam in the current century. This is why the efforts of Gburu-Gburu, the visionary leader of Enugu State should be commended for taking a bold step to reinvent and inculcate this important industry in our children and youths. His cravings to leverage agricultural revolution in the state; sponsorship of programs and providing incentives, all geared towards ensuring an all-year round farming season in the Coal City State alongside provisions of soft loans, credit facilities and grants to interested farmers and other agro-entrepreneurs is equally heart warming.
Today, the facilitation of agricultural activities in our public schools tagged School Farming Project through the sensitization efforts of Hon. Ikeji Asogwa; the Executive Chairman of Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB) is another milestone of the state government under Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. It is interesting to see that the government’s quest to ensure food security for the teeming and upcoming generations by inculcating in the young minds, the values and tenets of sustainable agricultural concepts as an enduring means of economic growth is yielding the desired goal. Pupils and students now relive their experiences in agricultural practicals with so much delight that was the characteristics of such venture in the years gone by.
The Executive Chairman of ENSUBEB; Hon. Ikeji Asogwa as part of the people-oriented governmental machinery of the Executive Governor of Enugu State; Rt. Hon. Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi must be commended too for initiating these far reaching ideas through ENSUBEB platform and bringing same ideas to fruition. Recently, he commissioned several solar-powered farm sites including poultry farms and fish ponds alongside solar-powered boreholes in some select public schools in Agbani and Nkanu areas of the State marked Agric Action Plan for the nine selected schools in the state. While touring these select schools for a flag off of the program, Hon. Asogwa revealed that the project is being facilitated by UBEC and ENSUBEB while the state government led by a leader whose only source of inspiration is the desire to make impacts, provides the marching funds for a timely implementation of the project.
Honorable Ikeje further disclosed that the concept was informed by the approval of the construction of solar-powered mechanised farm sites in the nine public schools evenly distributed in the three senatorial districts of the state. There is no gainsaying that such prospects among the young generation can only be imagined as it is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) tilting towards the urgency for food security, neither would one need to be lectured that a religious implementation of such project would lead to having graduates who are more of employers than employees or at worst become employable products.
It is important however to reiterate the admonitions of Hon. Asogwa to the teachers and students as well as all the beneficiaries of the government efforts to ensure adequate security of the installed infrastructures in their domain and equally engender the culture of maintenance of these facilities to gain maximally from the government gesture.
Now, the obvious question begging for an urgent answer is, would any rational soul be blamed for standing with a leader whose significant dream accommodates the welfare of all? Would I be blamed for standing with a governor who cherishes the future of my children and would leave no stone unturned to care for them in every possible ramification? Once again, I’m proud to identify with the true governor of the governed: His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
Bibian Anekwe News…added.. Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals & happiness.
Written by
Hon. Mrs. Bibian Anekwe
Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Enugu state Governor on mobilization and empowerment
ENUGU DI N’AKA CHUKWU MOVEMENT (DG.)
