The mission president of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Supreme Council, Nigeria and Overseas, Pastor Henry Ojo, has charged President Bola Tinubu to reintroduce agriculture food marketing board and provide price incentive regime to farmers in order to boost food production chain in the country.
He noted that though Tinubu had declared a state of emergency on food insecurity, hence, he stressed that there is need for government at all levels to take concrete action in ensuring that farmers get unfettered and quick access to sell their products through the reintroduction of agricultural marketing board.
In his address during the CAC 2023 Pastors’ Conference tagged, “Ignite the Fire of Revival”, at CAC, Ile-Anu Alasepe, Ikire, Osun State, Ojo said: “Any country that fails to feed itself cannot be said to be truly independent. To stem the trend of increasing food insecurity, government at all levels have to embark on aggressive agrarian revolution.”
According to him, “85 percent of Nigerian farmers are small scale farmers who need to be supported with intensive extension services coupled with highly subsidised inputs with rural feeder roads for prompt movement of their produce to the market/consumers platform.
“Price incentive regime and adequate on-farm storage should be put in place for farmers to be able to make economic gains. Simply put, government at all levels should declare a state of emergency in the food production chain so as to ensure seamless production of food and agricultural commodities and feed the ever-increasing population of the country with surplus for export, “Ojo posited.
He, however, backed the removal of fuel subsidy by Tinubu during the inauguration of his administration in May, saying that “the effects of the removal might and still expected to be harsh initially, but shall improve and benefit the nation in the long term.
On the prolonged internal crisis rocking the CAC, Ojo declared the readiness of his leadership not to weary of exploring peaceful measures and other subtle approach to restore unity and cohesion in the church.
He said: “The Supreme Council faction has been initiating all peace moves in the mission. As stated before, Supreme Council, in compliance with the admonition in Hebrew 12:14 shall continue to follow and pursue peace with our brethren in the GEC faction. “
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