A ranking member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Bamisile, has hailed the Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, for conceptualising a modern and landmark agriculture policy like Renewed Hope farm Dormitories to bolster food supply in the state.
Bamisile, who described the concept as a game- changing initiative, said the policy would ramp up food production in the state and make farming highly captivating to the youth population.
Governor Oyebanji on Thursday flagged off the construction of dormitories in the farm settlements located in Eporo, Aramoko, Oke Ako and Ikere communities, so that the youth can be fully resident in their farms’ premises.
Lauding the policy in a statement released through his Abuja’s Media Office, on Saturday, Bamisile urged the youth to key into the modern initiative to tackle the rising cases of food shortage, unemployment, poverty and neglect in their ranks.
Bamisile said most enthralling to him was the fact that the initiative began in Eporo Ekiti located within his Emure/Gbonyin/Ekiti East federal constituency, where vast youth population and lands are available to propel the policy.
The Federal lawmaker added that food production remains a sinequanon to the economic growth and the survival of the people at this time of economic hardship being faced in the country, which makes the policy timely and highly rewarding to the citizens.
He appealed to Governor Oyebanji to beef up security around the farm settlements to curtail the horrendous and alarming cases of killings and kidnappings around the areas designated for the initiative.
“This is one initiative that should be commended and embraced by all Ekiti citizens, especially the youth population, because it will help in stemming the astronomic increase in the level of food prices, check inflation, and provide jobs for our unemployed youths.
” It will also dislodge the criminal gang kidnapping people out of Ekiti”, the former Speaker added.
Speaking further, Bamisile said: “The recent happenings in our country attested to the fact that food production has become indispensable to the economic growth and survival of the people.
” I am happy that young farmers in some parts of the country are now the shakers and movers of the economy, so the conservative view that farmers are naturally poor is no longer there.
“But the snag still remains that the government should beef up security in those farm settlements, because they are areas highly notorious and predisposed to kidnapping and killings.
“It is heartwarming that the Oke Ako and Eporo’s forests found to have been infested by kidnappers are now being converted into farming. This is a cheery news to us.
“I commend Governor Oyebanji for this modern and inspiring initiative and I plead with our youths to key into it and make the best use of this rare opportunity, for their benefits and that of the entire Ekiti populace”.
