Food Prices Dropping, Tinubu’s Reforms Working, Agric Minister, Barau Declare
L-R: Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin with Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture Production, Services and Rural Development, Senator Saliu Mustapha, during the 2024 Constituency Empowerment Programme Kwara Central Senatorial District... in Kwara state, yesterday.
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, and the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, have declared that the reforms of President Bola Tinubu on agriculture and food security is yielding positive results.
They said the prices of foodstuffs are already coming down in the various markets across the country.
Kyari and Barau stated this in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, Friday at the empowerment programme organised by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, who is representing Kwara Central Senatorial District.
Mustapha on the occasion, distributed empowerment tools and materials to over 2,500 constituents.
The event tagged: ‘Alubarika 1.0 Agricultural and Human Capital Development Empowerment Programme’, was held at the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority’s premises in Ilorin.
Kyari said the collaboration between the National Assembly and his ministry on the implementation of the food security policy of the president was yielding positive results as the high cost of foodstuffs in the markets are gradually coming down.
He said: “Today, I can proudly beat my chest and boast that the reform that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu initiated in terms of food security is working.
“We have seen and we are feeling that foodstuffs are available, but gradually they are becoming affordable. That is to show the champion of food security, President Tinubu, is working for the best interest of Nigerians.
“I would also commend my partners in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for being in line with the aspiration of Mr. President.
“The Senate Committee on Agriculture chaired by Senator Saliu Mustapha, which is over sighting me, has been keeping us on our toes, making us to fall in line with Mr. President’s aspiration.
“We have the same aspiration and we mean well for Nigeria and Nigerians.”
The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who represented the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on the occasion, expressed delight that Mustapha concentrated a greater percentage of his empowerment programme on agriculture.
Barau, who donated 200 sewing machines on the occasion, said the special attention given to the agriculture sector by the President Tinubu’s administration was commendable and urged other federal lawmakers to channel their zonal intervention programme to agriculture.
Barau said: “I call this a great empowerment programme because it is intended to empower the constituents of Saliu Mustapha in the area of agriculture and human capital development.
“These are key areas that are very important to our national development. Of course, I don’t need to waste much time talking about the importance of agriculture to every society.
“Agriculture is something unknown to the survival of every society. It is, in my opinion, the foundation of every society, because without food, no life.
“It is a kind of programme that aligns with the Renew Hope Agenda of Mr. President to provide food for all.
“No wonder, Mustapha decided to empower his people with agricultural tools because we know he’s an outstanding legislator, an astounding person who has been in the leadership circle of this country, being a party leader, so he knows it all.
“As a deputy chairman of a party, he knows what it means to make the people happy. He has the wherewithal, he knows about the problems that we have in our country.
“That is why the Senate decided that we need someone of such a pedigree to be the chairman of the Committee on Agriculture. This is what is driving the economy of every advanced society, of every dominant society, of every society in the world.
“If you don’t have it right there, forget it if you don’t have an arrangement that will provide food and enhance your human capital. Human capital is number one now in every sector, in every facet of production.
“You need to have the people, you need to have the skilled people that will drive your development. That is why this programme is very important.”
Jibrin, who led other senators to the programme, donated 200 sewing machines for onward distribution to the Kwara Central constituents.
Apart from the prior entrepreneurial training and certification of the beneficiaries by the lawmaker, empowerment materials were also distributed.
Other items distributed during the event were 250 deep freezers, tricycles, 100 live cows, 400 grinding machines, eight tractors for four local governments in Kwara Central.
Also vehicles, gas powered oven with cylinders, 400 irrigation machines, full university scholarship for 200 students, various food stuffs, fertilizers and farm inputs and power transformers among others, were equally distributed.
Dignitaries at the occasion included the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru (Kwara South); Chief Whip of the Senate, Mohammed Tahir Monguno; and Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru.
Others were the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru; Chief Imam of Ilorin, Muhammadu Bashir; Emir of Ilorin, Alhahi Sulu Gambari represented by Modibo Sulu Gambari; and Senator Aminu Iyal Abass, among others.
