Worried by the free fall of Nigeria’s economy with the attendant poverty and hunger worsened by the growing insecurity, a 99-year-old farmer in Imo State has made a passionate appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a state-of-the-nation review, the nonagenarian, Mr. Emmanuel Okeke says “over dependence on crude oil has led to economic backwardness and promoted corruption”.
Okeke, who hails from Umulogho Town in Obowo Local Government Area of Imo, therefore, urged the Federal Government to further stimulate the economy through mechanised farming.
“We are in a critical time; crude oil may fail the country one day. I advise Nigerian youths to embrace agriculture because that is the way out”, he further admonished in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN on Friday, May 20.
Okeke says he has been into farming for 80 years and holds optimism that with greater attention on mechanised farming, the government would feed the citizens adequately and reduce poverty.
He is presently the oldest man in his village, Umuadara, but Okeke still tend to his farms at age 99.
“It is part of me. I have been in the business for 80 years now. I trained all my children through farming. I specialise in yam farming, I am well-established in the business and I am still strong to farm”, he remarked when asked why he had not taken a bow.
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