Analyst Tasks Politicians On Agric Development

Politicians especially
at the grassroots level have been challenged to prioritise agriculture in their agenda in order to develop the agricultural sector when they get into power.
A public affairs analyst, Mr Chuks Worlu, from Ndele, in the Emohua local government area of the state, who threw the challenge while speaking to our correspondent at the weekend, said local government chairmen in the state should develop the agricultural sector at the rural level.
He said women at the rural level produce more than 70 per cent of the food in the country even as he said every local government was endowed with one dominant or more food crops.
According to Worlu, any local government chairman who does not explore the product in which his or her local government council has comparative advantage has no business being in power.
He said past experiences have shown that most local government chairmen in the state rather than strengthening the agricultural sector in their domains go about spending money on frivolities.
“Today, it is fashionable for elected local government chairmen to measure their status by the number of flashy cars and houses” they have to the determinant of the people.
He said despite its autonomy, the task of checking their excesses still remains with the various Houses of Assembly.
He wondered why most local government chairmen do not put agriculture first considering the fact that most of them grew up in the rural areas where farming remains the main stay of the people.