The Ebonyi South Senatorial Aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Marcelo Nwaji Anyigor has described mechanized farming as the only contemporary preoccupation that can bring back Nigeria's fortune as a nation popularly known as the Giant of Africa.
Comrade Anyigor who stated this on Sunday while interacting with newsmen lamented the rising cases of crimes emanating from the unemployment of graduates, economic crisis and hunger facing Nigerian citizens for a quite long now.
He recalled that during the pre-independent days and in the first republic, agriculture was the backbone of Nigeria's economy.
He further recounted that if one still remembers with nostalgic feelings the Cocoa production of the South West Region, the Ground Nut Pyramid of the North and the Oil Palm Plantations of the East, introducing mechanized farming nationwide, would go a long way to tackle the economic crisis confronting the nation.
Emphasizing more on the need to adopt mechanized farming, the Senatorial Aspirant promised to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and other relevant agencies to encourage large-scale commercial farming and create jobs for the unemployed youths, bringing about food security and robust market stability that will shore up the country's foreign exchange earnings, curtail crimes and evolve a well-improved GDP.
His words: "During the pre-independent days and in the first republic, agriculture was the backbone of Nigeria's economy. One still remembers with nostalgic feelings the Cocoa production of the South West Region, the Ground Nut Pyramid of the North and the Oil Palm Plantations of the East.
"During this era, the country was the real giant of Africa with strong economic growth as vividly shown in the strong nation's Gross Domestic Product and Income as well as Per Capita Income of our country. But the discovery of oil in commercial quantity in Oloibiri, Delta State in 1953 and the subsequent oil-driven boom in the country's economy changed the trend of history.
"Just recently, the country is witnessing a hard-biting economic recession occasioned by the slump in the price of crude oil in the international market. This calls for a rethink and most especially the imperative for us to embrace economic diversification.
"However, if the country is to diversify, the best alternative where the country has the highest comparative advantage is Agriculture.
"Against this background, I intend to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources to encourage large-scale commercial farming and create jobs for the unemployed youths, bringing about food security and robust market stability that will shore up the country's foreign exchange earnings, curtail crimes and evolve a well-improved GDP.
"As the Senator representing the good people of Ebonyi South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, I intend to always carry my constituents along and ensure that they are kept abreast of the developments at the National Assembly."
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