In a passionate plea, Olufemi Oguntoyinbo, the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party in Ogun State during the last general election, has implored the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to address the escalating issue of food insecurity in Nigeria to prevent a surge in hunger and suicide cases.
Oguntoyinbo delivered this urgent advice during an award ceremony organized by the Oyo State Canteen Workers’ Union at the Recreation Club in Ibadan, the state capital, on Friday.
“The biting effects of previous killings, attacks, and mass destruction of farmlands by herders in the North and some parts of the South West, which were rampant during the past government of Buhari, are now more pronounced,” Oguntoyinbo emphasized. “With the current high inflationary rate, occasioned by the wobbling economy in Nigeria, the prices of food commodities have been further pushed up beyond the reach of the common man.”
Drawing attention to the negative impact on large-scale farmers and the agricultural value chain, Oguntoyinbo underscored the urgency of addressing security challenges to ensure the productivity of the nation’s vital agricultural sector. He linked the surge in suicide cases to the prevailing economic hardships and emphasized the need for President Tinubu to reassess economic strategies and prioritize comprehensive security measures.
“The Federal Government under his watch must also create an enabling socio-economic atmosphere capable of attracting investors to pave the way for employment generation,” Oguntoyinbo added, urging proactive steps to safeguard both the nation’s food security and the well-being of its citizens.
