Concerned by the high cost of living that has affected Nigerians purchasing power, a foremost Muslim organization, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, has asked President Bola Tinubu to immediately introduce policies that will address food security across the country.
Ansar-Ud-Deen said that releasing grain from the National Reserve by the president cannot bring a sharp reduction in food prices which has continued to make life unbearable for an average citizens in the country.
The organization stressed that to remove hunger in the land by the Tinubu administration, the government must strengthen he Ministry of Agriculture and introduce policies that encourage youths to embrace mechanized farming.
The President, Ansar-Ud-Deen Society, Abdul-Rafiu Sanni, who spoke on behalf of the organization, added that youths engagement in mechanised farming will reduce unemployment and boost food production for local consumption and exportation.
He said: “We appeal to the President to take appropriate actions to remove hunger in the land in view of the scarcity and escalating prices of foodstuffs which is making life unbearable for an average Nigerian.
“We note with satisfaction the release of grains from the National Reserve by our President but we believe more needs to be done and urgently too to ensure food security in the country.
“The Ministry of Agriculture should be strengthened and our youths should be encouraged and supported to go into mechanized farming in order to reduce unemployment and improve significantly the production of farm products for local consumption and export”.
On kidnapping and other security challenges that had crippled, the president recommended that the intelligence gathering methodologies adopted by the military be overhauled to meet the present challenges.
He stated this following the tragic killings of the Onimojo of Imojo-Ekiti, Oba Olatunde Samuel Olusola, and the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti, Oba David Babatunde Ogunsola, in the Oke-Ako Community, Ikole Local Government Area, as well as the abduction of six Primary School pupils in Eporo-Ekiti Road, Ekiti State,
The organization’s leader noted that this underscore the dire necessity for more proactive measures.
“This grim reality indicates the need for the Service Chiefs to be more strategic and proactive as various operations by the Nigerian Army, Airforce, Navy and the Police seem still unable to contain these escalating insecurity scenarios. The commend our Armed Forces personnel for their efforts but we believe they still have to do more to win this war.
“In this regard, we strongly solicit that the intelligence gathering methodologies presently being deployed should be overhauled to meet the present challenges. We also advocate the Armed Force Community Relationship should be given special attention to engender confidence in our Armed Forces by the different communities.
“We also implore the National Assembly to improve significantly on their oversight functions on the Armed Forces (Ministries of Defence and Police Affairs) to ensure that the huge amount being allocated for security purposes are being properly and honestly utilized and we believe the general welfare of the fighting forces must be given special attention to improve their morale”.
