The Abaga Toni of Toni
Chiefdom in Nasarawa State, Dr Slyvester Ayih, has urged youths in the country to embrace farming in order to fight poverty and unemployment.
Ayih told our source in Garaku, Kokona Local Government Area of the state that youths’ involvement in farming would also boost socio-economic development of the country.
He said that government at all levels and Nigerians must give premium to agriculture if the country must live beyond oil and improve on the standard of living of the people.
“As traditional rulers, we are the custodian of the people’s culture, peace and unity.
“It is also our duty and that of everybody else to offer advice that will make the country grow faster irrespective of our background.
“As we are all aware, government is doing its best in providing job opportunities to the youths, but government alone cannot provide employment and other basic needs or cater for its citizens.
“That is why there is need for all, especially youths, to embrace farming or skills acquisition programmes to become self-reliant because the era of depending on government white collar jobs is gone,’’ he said.
According to the monarch, no society can live comfortably or survive without agriculture.
“Agriculture is the major source of livelihood of every family and nation and its importance to the development of the society cannot be overemphasised.
“If the youth and other Nigerians go back to farming, it will not only reduce overdependence on oil, but will fight poverty, unemployment, youths’ restiveness and other social vices,’’ he maintained.
He commended people in his domain for living in peace and urged them to sustain it in the interest of development of the area.
Ayi appealed to the people of the state and Nigerians to be law abiding and tolerate one another irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliation.