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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / Audu Ogbe Minister For Agriculture A Laughing Stock. (807 Views)
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Audu Ogbe Minister For Agriculture A Laughing Stock. by Iykopee(m): 7:56am On Mar 15, 2016 |
THE news was first received with
disbelief; “Grazing Reserve: FG imports
grass from Brazil- Ogbeh”, Nigerian Times
March 3, 2016. Even my big brother
Franklin Okotie - Vanguard Asaba-
commented on my facebook page that
we should stop the joke. But, reading
through the body of the story, it was
sure real.
Audu Ogbeh was quoted as saying: “this
is to curtail the frequent clashes between
arm bearing Fulani cattle breeders and
farmers”.
According to Ogbeh, “Muhammadu Buhari
was setting up grazing areas in various
states of the federation as a response to
the clashes. We are producing massive
hectares of grasslots for the consumption
of cattle, we have received these grasses
from Brazil and we are growing them in
massive quantities”.
The report went further: “We will grow
grass in the south to feed the cattle in the
north, just as Saudi Arabia did....if Saudi
Arabia with the largest cattle ranch in the
world can grow its grass for the cows in
the United States of America, Nigeria
should be able to do same”.
The issue was very well discussed again
in the Ray Power radio programme
‘Political Platform’, 9.15 am to 9.45am of
Wednesday 9th March 2016. The
discussants quoted Ogbeh to the effect
that those criticising the government's
decision are ignorant of the agricultural
facts herein.
According to them, Ogbeh claimed to be
an expert in agriculture who knows what
he is doing, that what they are bringing
in are seedlings, of a higher breed that is
to be planted in Nigeria.
Again, the discussants will not agree with
the government’s decision, that if the
challenge is in the area of improved
seedlings, we have well established
agricultural research institutions in the
country with whom the government can
collaborate to achieve the same result,
such as the International Institute for
Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
Why go to Brazil and waste scarce
foreign exchange that has become very
difficult for genuine Nigerian businesses
to obtain? And, I add my voice to ask
also, must we go abroad to import grass,
when we have them of various specie
and sizes, spread across the length and
breadth of Nigeria? Grasses that lie fallow,
with no one in government thinking of
how to put them to profitable uses. How
did we find ourselves importing from
abroad what we have in abundance
locally?
It is a well known fact that cows do not
discriminate grasses, when they are
hungry. Audu Ogbeh and his team must
begin to brain storm on how to put into
productive uses the grasses that are
produced in our land, the focus should be
in the areas of preservation/storage,
processing and transportation.
We do not want a situation where the
cattle go into farmlands to graze and in
the process destroying people’s property.
These grasses could be properly
cultivated, preserved to remain fresh and
transported to different grazing lands for
cattle, the way it is done with other
animal feeds.
The fact that Saudi Arabia is importing
grasses from the United States does not
mean that we must follow their example,
especially when it is a known fact that
that Saudi Arabia is at the heart of desert
lands. Grass is so much all over Nigeria
that with proper planning and
integration, it could be cultivated with the
specific purpose of feeding the cows in
the north, through the same circle, the
cows will end up at the various abattoirs
in the south to feed the populace. So, it is
a reciprocal thing, I mean giving and
receiving and I believe that is what Audu
Ogbeh and his team should look out for.
In those days, before the introduction of
the synthetic foam mattress, we were
using mattresses made from grasses
cultivated in the streets, nooks and
crannies. We can return to that era and
help create job opportunities for our
farmers.
It is doubtful if there is any specie of
grass that cannot be found in Nigeria.
One only needs to traverse the land by
road and realise this wholesome truth.
Our officials have become very lazy, only
looking for ready made and wasteful
solutions.
There is no attempt at creativity. Is this
why is it so difficult for us to look
inward? Why is it that it is only things
foreign that we crave for? Has Audu
Ogbeh made enough consultations with
relevant experts of agriculture in Nigeria
before arriving at his decision? We must
begin to identify challenges facing this
nation and task ourselves with home
grown solutions. That is the only way we
can make progress and set the nation on
the right course.
It is unacceptable for us to import grass
into this country, our natural habitat
favour its cultivation, even the famous
Bahama grass has been cultivated here
with a lot of success. Audu Ogbeh should
look for young men with fresh ideas to
execute his programmes, his ideas as
they are presently, appear too far
fetched.
Grass is what everyone can feel and
touch everywhere in this country. We do
not need to go abroad to import it, it is
like importing crude oil into the Niger
Delta for processing, it is uncalled for.
The potentials in this country are
enormous, the challenge is for the
leadership to use this enormous
manpower resources to achieve the
requisite goal of the nation. We have
them in Nigeria, we must continue to put
them to work. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/03/must-we-import-grass/ |
Re: Audu Ogbe Minister For Agriculture A Laughing Stock. by Iykopee(m): 8:00am On Mar 15, 2016 |
This quite unbelieveable. Importing grass into the country to feed cattles? How is Audu Ogbe better than previous minister for agriculture considering his proposal to import grass? |
Re: Audu Ogbe Minister For Agriculture A Laughing Stock. by Tunami(m): 8:11am On Mar 15, 2016 |
and this same people are the ones shouting buy made in nigeria goods, hipocrisy at its pek. |
Re: Audu Ogbe Minister For Agriculture A Laughing Stock. by Tunami(m): 8:11am On Mar 15, 2016 |
and this same people are the ones shouting buy made in nigeria goods, hipocrisy at its peak. |
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