FG SOLICITS N'ASSEMBLY'S BACKING OF AGRIC SECTOR REFORM

Federal Government yesterday said it has began moves to get the backing of the National Assembly in making laws to back up the reforms being carried out in the agriculture sector. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adeshina disclosed this, while conducting newsmen round the National Farmers Database Centre in Abuja.

This was even, as he assured that the Federal Government would frustrate saboteurs of government's effort towards making the country agriculturally sufficient. The Minister, while responding to the concerns raised by stakeholders that the reforms, like those carried out in the past, could be abandoned by subsequent administration, said the laws were imperative for the sustainability of the reforms and transformation that has been carried out in the sector.

Adeshina assured of government's preparedness in carrying the lawmakers along to ensure the passage to the necessary laws to back up the reform.

He stressed that Nigeria being the largest cassava producer and soon to become the largest processor of cassava, there was no reason why Nigeria should continue importing food, except for the interest of a few people who use it to make money.

Government is also launching a mass sensitization of the public, to empower them with more information on how to access the subsidy made available to them. States and local governments through the Commissioners of Agriculture, would also be empowered to unlock their Agric potentials, to ensure sustainability. Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who was also at the tour said, for the country to grow agriculturally, Nigerians have to change their, 'bad attitude for preference of foreign goods.'

Comparing Nigeria to China with a population of 1.2 billion, Maku said if China was thinking of a total stoppage of food importation, there was no reason why Nigeria should not do the same.'No country can develop with the kind of financial hemorrhage happening in Nigeria,' he said.