Food Insecurity: NHRC charges security agencies to protect farmers

By Abubakar Yunusa

The National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) on Tuesday, called on security agencies in the country to work in synergy towards ensuring that farmers are protected from banditry attacks and abductions.

The NHRC Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu made the call whil speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of the Roundtable Discussion with the theme “Exploring the Economic Outlook of Nigeria”in Abuja.

Tony said security and welfare of the people are provided by the Constitution is the primary responsibility of government and those agencies of government that are responsible for providing security, welfare, to the people must be made to live up to their duties.
According to him,”If the farms are not safe that means there is no food security and every human being has a right to adequate standard of living, which includes right food, shelter, right to self services.

“Its very, very important that those who are in charge of security and national security adviser, DSS, police, the army, should all be made to account to make sure that our farmers are able to go to the farms so that we will not face hunger.

“You can see how the insecurity is already affected the standard of living of the people,farmers are not working anymore. Somebody just said that the large scale farms, the mechanized farms are not working anymore.

“People who are in those farms are kidnapped and people are afraid to go to the farms and security is very critical to farmers infact, everything because you cannot do anything without security,”he said .

In his welcome address,ActionAid Nigeria, Country Director,Andrew Mamedu called for redefinition of the purpose of incurring in clear terms.
He said incurring debts should be to promote value chain development, improve the macroeconomic framework, develop infrastructure,and build strategic human capital.

“Further,there is need to establish a public review mechanisms through which the cost benefit analysis of loans and their implications are ascertain benefit the federal,or state government enters into loans agreements.