By Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour



Let’s start from the end.

The Bio-safety Bill is a ruse, a scam, a charade, a veil under which Monsanto and similar foreign Bio-tech companies can achieve a strong foothold in Nigeria, while legitimizing illegal experiments (BtCowpea) that has already started happening in Nigeria. There will be no improved research or innovative cutting edge solutions to our problems. NO… There would only be another dependent market for Monsanto, Sygenta and Dupont to sell their Modified seeds. This story will end exactly the same way the Ajaokuta Steel scam ended.
This will happen because the backers of this bill are not looking out for Nigeria’s Interest. NABDA has been a long term partner with MONSANTO. Our Agriculture minister has been a senior level partner at Rockefeller (Which is a huge proponent of GMO technology). Lastly the business model of these companies is to create dependency, which translates to more money for them.
“The Bio-safety Act is a safety valve for harnessing the potentials of modern technology in that, it will proscribe procedure for the application of the technology, risk assessment before the adoption and use of any genetically modified organisms and penalties for contravening the Bio-safety Act.”The Director General of NABDA, Prof. Lucy Ogbadu

That excerpt seems like a good idea until you read the following:
“I can speak authoritatively that Mr. President will be anxious to enact a Bio-safety law, when he gets the passed bill before him, for the interest of the country, he will sign, So that Monsanto and other countries can come to Nigeria to assist us in boosting agricultural production not only in food but also in area of cotton, cowpea, maize, tomatoes.” Chairman of the Senate committee on Science and technology Prof. Robert Boroffice

This is similar to saying we will set up INEC to conduct free and fair elections so that Abacha will be president. I hope that analogy shows how ridiculous this sham is. How does a company pre-qualify even before you set up the infrastructure to test whether or not the company’s products are both safe and are of long term benefit to Nigeria and Nigerians?
Naiveté has been the curse of African people and it is still our greatest weakness.

On the 6th of July, The Minister of Agriculture Dr Adesina made the following comments on GMO’s:
“The fact remains that we have nothing in this country called GMO. “
Without mincing words, that is an outright LIE, and the Nigerian populace deserves to know the truth. The Minister and his ministry should start by explaining the existence of Bt Cowpea in Nigeria. A full case study has been published by Obidimma C Ezezik* and Abdallah S Daar titled ”Overcoming barriers to trust in agricultural biotechnology projects: a case study of Bt cowpea in Nigeria.”

What is remarkable is the extent of the lie when even the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) has published several documents and an FAQ sheet on Bt Cowpea. One such question is this:
Q: Why has field testing of the Maruca-resistant cowpea been started in Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Ghana, and not in other countries?
A: The field testing of Maruca-resistant cowpea was started in those countries that have working bio-safety regulatory systems.

The GMO Bt Cowpea core partners include, The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) , The Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) Zaria , The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and last but certainly not least, The Monsanto Company .

The same Minister on national TV(channels TV) further talks about how Monsanto BT cotton is being introduced in the northern part of Nigeria, a plant which of his own explanation is GMO. So why all the lies? That is a rhetoric question. Lies have been the trade currency of Monsanto and other Bio-tech firms for a long time but as with all lies, the truth eventually comes out. Thankfully to the good people at NABDA, who despite contradicting the Minister

Many countries that rely on GMOs, such as USA, are flourishing.

The benefits (disease resistance, etc) seem to exceed the costs (of being dependent on companies like Mosanto for the seeds), etc.

You have failed to convince us of the dangers of using GMO seeds as promised by your title.

Seun:
Many countries that rely on GMOs, such as USA, are flourishing.

The benefits (disease resistance, etc) seem to exceed the costs (of being dependent on companies like Mosanto for the seeds), etc.

You have failed to convince us of the dangers of using GMO seeds as promised by your title.

I had to read all these write up i actually didnt ser any threat he pointed out but truth be told GMOs are a dangerous and manipulative mean to an end the disadvantages out ways the advantage.
It could usher in a deadly type of disease never sern before in Africa esp since there are bo proper regulatory agencies they will just use us and test pigs just as the case of Pfizer.
I am strongly against GMOs
Esp from a company with this kind of history
http://www.i-sis.org.uk/Monsanto_out_of_China.php
If this starts in Nigeria we are in serious problem

Seun:
Many countries that rely on GMOs, such as USA, are flourishing.

The benefits (disease resistance, etc) seem to exceed the costs (of being dependent on companies like Mosanto for the seeds), etc.

You have failed to convince us of the dangers of using GMO seeds as promised by your title.

One, I would.take European food and farming safety standards over US 's.
Moreover, dependency is a bad thing especially when it involves Agriculture and the food system. I just hope the opponents of Gmo would come up with verified fact that could finally put these Gmo back and forth to rest. Until then I am straddling on the side of caution for food safety, diversity and independence