Food Shortage: Group Seeks Support For Yoruba Farmers

A socio-cultural organisation, Yoruba Commitment Forum has called on the Federal Government to permanently put a check on the activities of Fulani herdsmen in Yorubalnd.

The group made this known in a statement yesterday, stressing that food shortage in the country would continue unabated if farmers in Yorubaland whose source of livelihood is farming is being destroyed by criminal Fulani herdsmen.

The full text of the Press Release is highlighted below:

NIGERIA’S HEADACHES, FOOD INSECURITY IN YORUBALAND

There is a looming danger, a Sword of Damocles, hanging on the neck of Nigerians. That imminent danger is serious food crisis, as an euphemism. It is none other than famine, shone of its half speak. Though it is an impending national crisis but its impact on Yorubaland is going to be calamitous.

We have observed that for about seven (7) years now, Fulani herdsmen have been engaging in a relentless destruction of farmlands and settlements in Yorubaland. These criminal Fulani elements resorted to kidnapping, raping, maiming and killing of farmers and Yoruba sons and daughters. Neither the Governments, any level, nor Fulani herdsmen’s apologists would claim ignorance of the atrocious activities of these ruthless people. Video recordings of their wicked actions suffuse the internet. The end result is that farmers began to be scared off their farms gradually until now when farms have been completely abandoned.

When this started years ago, foresighted individuals raised concerns; they warned about the potential danger of food insecurity beginning with rising food prices and the need to ensure a stable food supply. It appears that Southwest was deliberately targeted and the invasion of our farmlands was the execution of a conscious plan to starve our people to death. We, the Yoruba Nation agitators, cried out for help against the brazen onslaught but none came from the Federal Government led by a Fulani man.

Unfortunately, the hens have now come home to roost as the consequences of our action, or rather inaction, are now here for real with food shortages and very high prices making it increasingly difficult for our people to access the basic necessity of food.

Before the current bad situation spirals out of control, we hasten to inform the Government that there is no alternative to large scale farming which Fulani herdsmen have destroyed by waging a war against farmers.

Subsistence farming through the backyards, as good as it is, cannot serve the purpose of assuring any people of food security. Farmlands in the South West must be made very safe. We state emphatically that the situation whereby a basket of tomatoes is sold for #4000 in the North while the same is sold in Yorubaland for #150,000 is callous, ruthless and unacceptable to us.

We also call for assistance to use cheaper rail transport among others to assist our market men and women. Other regions do this, why not here in YORUBALAND?

Secondly, Governments must incentivise farmers whose investments have been destroyed during the war of attrition waged against them by Fulani terrorists. Without Government’s financial assistance, there is no way most farmers will be able to go back to farming, even if security of their lives and new investments are assured.