Senator representing Kogi West, Smart Adeyemi has called on his constituents to embrace agriculture as one of the ways of bailing out of the economic challenges the post COVID-19 era may bring.
Adeyemi, a third term senator stated this yesterday during the distribution of food palliatives to people residing in his constituency.
Adeyemi said the Covid-19 pandemic has brought economic recession not only to Nigeria but the world as a whole, adding that farming provide a lee way to survive the economic crunches.
The Senator said the call becomes imperative because oil price has already dwindled, but agriculture plays strategic role in the process of economic development. He urged the people of the area to take advantage of the rich arable lands to make active participation in agriculture.
“Agriculture also played significant role in human life with the main goal of meeting population’s needs for food, providing the industry with raw materials and the greatest employer of labour, globally.
“The major way to survive the economy recession is to harness our agric resources. Kogi West is a rich and blessed country in abundance with great Agricultural resources.
“We must not lie to ourselves, the country is already in recession as the crude oil which is the mainstream of the country has come down to $27 per barrel against the projection of the Federal government budget of $57.
“Unless God intervene with a miracle, not only states, the Federal Government too may failed to meet up his responsibility to civil servants.
“The situation is precipitated on the fact that we refused to save, invest or diversify during the windfall of oil boom selling beyond $150 per barrel. Now President Buhari is grappling and struggling to navigate Nigeria out of the economic problem.
“I make bold to speak now because many times I stood at the floor of the national assembly during the 5th and 6th senate, even as a PDP members, calling the attention of the Federal government then to save and diversify for future sake; but the government of PDP refused to listen. Nigerians really need to ask PDP why they refused to plan for the future,” he said.
On his decision to give another food palliative just few weeks after the first food support, Adeyemi said “people will only remember you for the numbers of lives you have impacted and not what you acquired. Great leader will look at how his people will not forget him when he leaves his office.
“I want to write my name on the heart of my people. I am going to serve with sense of purpose and integrity. I will make sure every nooks and crannies of Kogi west will see the limelight of my representation.
“My coming back to the Senate was as a result of the believe the Governor and my people had in me. If it weren’t for them I could have not been here today. I will not betray them.”
