Chief Pius Akinyelure, the leader of the All Progressives Congress and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, has advised Nigerians to go back to farming as a solution to the nation’s food scarcity.
Akinyelure made this statement on Saturday during an event hosted by the Idanre Development Assembly to honor and celebrate deserving sons and daughters of the community in his hometown of Idanre, Idanre Local Government Area, Ondo state.
Going back to the farm was one strategy to deal with the current economic downturn, according to the NNPC chairman.
“If we don’t go back to the farm, where will we get food? We will be importing and the cost of importation is too high. So the only way out is to go back to the farm, make sure there is security for the farmers so that they are not driven away from their farm and then we can have enough food to feed our nation,” he stated.
The APC chairman emphasized the value of farming and said that if people didn’t return to the land, they “would result in us importing food which is very expensive due to the high cost of importation.” He emphasized the need for sufficient security to guarantee that farmers may work their land peacefully and are not forced to abandon it.
In addition to being grateful for the recognition, Akinyelure said the occasion was utilized to alert the authorities to the areas in which the community was falling short so they could take appropriate action.
As a special guest of honor at the event, the governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, made a statement stating that Akinyelure earned the award and that it would inspire others to achieve success.
Aiyedatiwa pointed out that the Idanre people’s recognition of Chief Akinyelure’s and the other celebrants’ merit and the numerous contributions they have made on a local and national level is the only reason such a unique honor was granted.
The governor commended Akinyelure for his humanitarian efforts and emphasized that his legacy would be remembered for many years to come, saying that “the award serves as a lesson to everyone to serve their community, state, and nation selflessly.”
Mayorkun Akinmoladun, the head of the organizing committee, stated that the primary purpose of the event was to honor and recognize the contributions of their living and deceased heroes.
“Today’s event is very remarkable, we thank God for the lives of our aged ones, past heroes and living ones. We did this to appreciate what they have done, those in the past, to also encourage those that are still in office or in one capacity or the other to be able to do more for their community,” the chairman said.
