Background

The first week of August this year could better be tagged ‘one day one trouble,’ with the nationwide protests on #endbadgovernance somehow holding the nation at it jocular.

It was a different litany of tales of laments and sorrows from the different parts of the country; from the northern states to the western states, with destruction and death greeting the public protests that was supposed to be a peaceful one.

In the south east of the country, it was a different ball game as the five states in the east backed out of the nationwide protests, however, it was a recast of the Monday weekly ‘stay at home’ as residents of the states closed shops and businesses and stayed indoors.

Hunger

While fire rages in a number of the states and amidst the ‘stay at home’ sort of protests in the south east, Anambra State government decided to raise the bar when on August 2, it turned its attention to addressing the problem of hunger, which is one of the many requests by the #endbadgovernance protesters.

On this fateful day, Governor Charles Soludo took the lead by calling his citizens to order and focus their attention of driving away hunger from the state not just through mere protestations but rather through practical attention.

This he did in a grand and colorful manner when he formally launched an agricultural project called ‘Farm to Feed’ campaign. Soludo chosen one of the recently constructed roads in the city of Awka, by his administration to launch the Farm to Feed campaign.

A section of Amansea – Ndiukwelu Road was decked in colours as the people gathered in response to the call by their number one citizen, Soludo, to participate in the campaign that is designed to make them enrich their lives by taking to farming even at subsistence level in order to drive away the hunger that is ravaging the nation.

There was palpable feeling of joy and celebration on the air as the people came out in their numbers bearing different farm implements, such as machetes, hoe and diggers in obedience to the call of their governor. Soludo’s move typifies the age long Igbo proverb that says “A sandy hand begets oily lips” hence the launch of Farm to Feed Campaign.

During the launch, a number of the indigenes came out to speak to the people and gave personal examples of how they have succeeded to drive away hunger from their homes through engaging in subsistence farming and keeping farm lands within their living quarters and neighbourhoods.

There was no better way to telling the story than to see some of these indigenes especially some of them in government circles business circle, the rich and well respected, to share their exponential experience, as a way of motiving the people and lending support to the governor’s vision to battle hunger in the state by making his people responsible for their well being rather than waiting on the government to fight hunger for them.

Missed opportunities

Given the mood of the country at the time of the launch of the campaign, with the youths of the country almost shutting down the country, it was expected that Soludo would address the issue of the day.

He never disappointed in this respect as he spoke in his fearless manner about happenings in his land of birth.

He took a swipe at the federal government as he spoke on the causes and effects of the #endbadgovernance protests across the country.

Soludo expressed sadness and disappointment over the lack of focus on agriculture by Nigerians and the government, noting the fact that the nation years ago survived on agriculture and not oil and gas, which has turned the country into a mono-product economy.

He further explained that the reason Anambra State did not participate in the ongoing nationwide protests, stressing that it is because the state believes in converting challenges to opportunities.

The reason the launch of the Farm to Feed campaign was birthed. According to him, “some are protesting in some parts of Nigeria but Anambra State is not protesting and I want to thank Anambra youths who have maintained peace and going about their businesses as all the markets in Anambra State are open.

“The youths have resolved that they want to take their destinies in their own hands to take positive steps to move their state and their country forward.

“They are not protesting not because they don’t feel the pains but because they want to be part of the solution.” Soludo recalled one of the hit tracks of late Sunny Okosun, entitled, ‘Which Way Nigeria,’ lamenting that for decades after the song was released Nigerians are still lamenting .

This is as he said, “the song sang by the legendary Sunny Okosun in 1984 about Nigeria, you will think that the song was sang yesterday. It simply tells us that Nigeria have been singing songs of lamentation for decades and it did not start today. “The fact is that we neglected agriculture, we neglected Operation Feed the Nation, Green Revolution and that was our doom.

Focused

“Today, what we have come to launch is the issue of collective citizen action in partnership with government to eradicate hunger once and for all in Nigeria” “It is now time to do something and today we want to launch an initiative to turn our challenges into opportunities.

“We fought the Civil War here in this part of Nigeria and there was nothing to eat and people were dying of kwashiorkor but we survived and this time again they say there is hunger in the land and we say we will not only survive, we will help to feed the rest of the country.”

Interestingly, Anambra State is one of the food baskets of the South East and Nigeria as it is known that the coastal lines of Omabala River to the River Niger belts of Ogbaru speak volume of the bounty of mother earth blessings upon the state.

Calls on investors

Lending credence to Soludo’s confidence of feeding the country, the former member that represented Anambra East and West Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Chief Chinedu Obidigwe noted that the governor’s submissions are apt in view of the level of hunger in the country.

“On behalf of myself and the United Anambra Youth Assembly (U-AYA) and the United Anambra Women Assembly (UAWA) I congratulate our government, Prof. Charles Soludo, for this move and we in Anambra North Senatorial District, the food basket of Nigeria support the Farm to Feed Campaign.

“We urge investors in the agricultural sector to key in to this programme as our governor is a team player and ready to partner with you all to feed Nigeria.’’ Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Foster Ihejiofor stated that the drive is for food sustainability and food security, adding that in the next four years this goal would have been achieved.

While the Commissioner for Local Government and Town Union Affairs, Chief Tony Collins Nwabunwanne noted that; “the governor has made it clear that the 21 local government areas of Anambra State must be part of the campaign under the supervision of the council chairmen.”

“I personally have farm lands in my village at Anambra West Local Government Area and I am still looking for more and with that we will succeed.” To this end, the 179 communities in the state have commenced the campaign through sensitisation programmes and would be organising meetings with the President Generals of those communities.

According to the National President of Anambra State Association of Town Unions (ASATU), Chief Titus Akpudo; “we do not have any option because the level of poverty and hunger in the country needs decisive actions and that means going back to our farms. “For the President Generals of the 179 Communities in Anambra State we have kick started the process and we shall be holding meetings and a committee is going to handle that.”

Awka North LGA

Chief Thank God Anago, Chairman of Awka North Local Government Area described the choice of Amansea as one that goes to confirm that we in Awka North Local Government Area are the life wire of food security in Anambra State.

“Our Agricultural Department of Awka North is being re- energised to multiple aspects and our farmers have been witnessing patronage and assistance from Governor Charles Soludo and we shall sustain that.’’