Minister of state for labour and employment, Barr. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has commended the Nigerian Union of Agriculture and Allied Employees (NUAAE) zeal to support president Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for sustainable food sufficiency.
The minister who stated this during a one-day 2nd Quadrennial NUAAE National Delegates Conference held in Makurdi the Benue State capital noted the importance of this year’s theme which is “Sustenance of Agricultural Development as a Panacea for Unemployment and Food Security in Nigeria.”
Represented by the director of trade union services and industrial relations, Musa Mohammed, the minister acknowledged the various contributions of NUAAE in ensuring food sufficiency and economic growth, saying the ministry will support all strategies put in place to ensure that Nigeria is food secured.
She said the federal government through the Renewed Hope Agenda will not relent in the fight against insecurity to ensure that farm lands are secured and farmers get the desired farming inputs in order to boost food production in the country.
The minister maintained that, this year’s theme is apt because of the important role the agricultural sector plays in providing job opportunities for the teeming youths and food for the entire population.
In his address, the former chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Benue State chapter who is also the outgoing national president of NUAAE, Comrade Simon Anchaver applauded members for their support which made him the longest serving president of the union.
Anchaver appealed to the federal government to tackle the menace of invasion and incessant attacks on farmers in their communities by armed herdsman across the country to enable farmers go back to the farm to boost food production this cropping season.
He decried a situation where large number of farmers have been chased away from their communities by the armed herdsmen and are now taking refuge in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs’) camps, adding that if this is not checked especially in Benue State which is the food basket of the nation, there will be food shortage across the country.
Anchaver urged governments at all levels to strategise on ways to sensitise and encourage farmers on irrigation farming across the country for all year-round production and also appealed for timely availability of farm inputs to enhance production.
The National Working Committee members of NUAAE were also elected and inaugurated during the conference to pilot the affairs of the association with Comrade Tajudeen Baba of Kano State as president and Comrade M. I. Zubairu as national secretary general.
In his acceptance speech, Comrade Baba who commended the out gone president and his exco members for finding him worthy called on all and sundry to support him to pilot the affairs of the union.
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