Democracy Day: Procurement of farm settlements; best gift for LG’s, Onyemaobi tells FG

An Elder Statesman in Abia state Chief Godfrey Onyemobi, an Elder Statesman says Federal government’s proposed payment of #20,000 to each of 1000 youths is a misappropriation of funds.

Chief Onyemobi insists that rather than disbursing #20,000 to one thousand youths each from the various LGA’s across the states, federal government should consider setting up farm settlement in each of the local governments to enhance job creation.

The Elder statesman made this call yesterday, maintained that diverting the huge amount of money to agriculture in the various 774 LG’s of the country would help secure the future of the youths whom he insisted would be better off employed and mobilised instead of receiving#20,000 in two months, which he noted would fizzle into the air at the twist of the fingers.

Recall that the Buhari led government had earlier approved of the disbursement of #20,000 to each of 1000 youths from the various local governments across the country in line with his fiscal stimulus measures in response to COVID-19 pandemic and oil prices fiscal shock.

This, however, is being debated on by the Nigeria Labour Congress, as well as other well meaning Nigerians who saw it as mismanagement of funds.

Hear him: “That money, as far as I am concerned, is being misapplied. We’re not getting any result from it. If the federal government could deploy those funds to agricultural products, and set up farm settlements, rhat will yield a better dividend than giving #20, 000 to them just to spend. It’s a wasted fund, as far as I am concerned.”

He implored the Federal government to restore the dignity of the country thereby investing in agriculture to ensure food security, as he regretted the poor coordination of agriculture over the years, unlike the notable success as recorded by the Nigeria nation via agriculture in the past.

“When Okpara was here, there were farm settlements in the former Eastern Nigeria, we had agricultural products here and there and Eastern Nigeria was rich in food sufficiency.

“But, since that time up until now, our agricultural coordination has been poorly executed but I believe that if could take that money to the various local governments, find out what is best produced in that area, acquire land, produce garri, cassava, yam, or even potatoes or anything that can grow in each particular area, then, we would have food sufficiency and we’ll be better off.”

Chief Onyemaobi, therefore, advised FG to channel the proposed funds to opening of agricultural farmlands for the young men and women to work on them and get paid.

“In fact, employ them there because when you open up a farm settlement, you have houses there and of course, they have everything there. If you had gone to the farm settlements in the North those days of Okpara, you’ll marvel. They had everything there including health centre and they were working and producing food both livestock, cash crops, poultry, rubber plantations, palm trees”, he added.

He used the medium to congratulate president Mohammadu Buhari on a successful democracy day
celebration.