Gbemiga Olakunle
“The only way to eradicate poverty is to create the enabling environment where every entrepreneurial skill thrives” – President George Bush,Jr.
In Nigeria, our security agencies have been drumming the slogan that security is everybody’s business. Although this statement may be true, however it is the major responsibility of government to provide adequate and reliable security for its citizens while the ultimate security of any man or society still lies with God, according to Psalm 127 verse 1 (KJV). Except for isolated cases, with the ongoing economic recession in the country, the recent increase in crime can be traced to poverty. There have been reported cases of people stealing foodstuff from markets and pots of soup from their neighbours just to assuage the pangs of hunger ravaging them and their families.
And in one extreme case, a man from the South-south was accused of killing his wife and daughter. According to the suspect, he could no longer afford to feed the victims and resorted to kill them.
This recent upsurge in crime can be traced to the door-steps of Mr. Poverty. There is therefore food for thought and wisdom in the prayers of King Solomon, the ancient King of Israel who was famous for his wisdom and wise sayings/proverbs. King Solomon, the son of King David made a prayer-request unto God that is worthy of our consideration and attention both as leaders and the led: “Two things have I required of Thee (God); deny me them not before I die ; remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me. Lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my GOD in vain.” – Proverbs 30:7-9, KJV.
From the above related accounts, one can note that there both food security and national security are closely related. The issue of national security cannot be properly tackled without addressing its critical component of food security through increased agricultural production and agricultural related businesses. And food security is not just about agricultural mechanisation and increased Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) alone, especially in the area of fertilizer inputs to increase farm yields. It will be a waste of resources, if values are not added to these increased yields in Agricultural products through the value chains.
However, it should be noted that food security chain or process is not complete if the food so produced in abundance in the rural areas cannot get easily transported to the urban areas where they are needed to be exchanged into cash due to lack of motorable roads. As a result, this may lead to glut and post-harvest losses. And so there are two critical areas that the government should address if its agricultural policies should guarantee food security. Policies that may lead to increased farm yields are good. But they can be counter-productive if the products so produced are left to rot away on the farm lands. Hence there is need for government to give due attention to construction of motorable roads in order to facilitate the evacuation of farm produce from crops-processing zones or farmlands to areas where they may be needed in commercial quantities.
In addition, more cottage industries should be established to add value to these agricultural produce thereby creating job opportunities to the youth. And to boost the morale of these young people who want to go into agriculture as a business venture, the authorities should also ensure the adequate provision of social amenities like portable pipe-borne water, stable electricity, recreation/sports centres, and VIP restrooms/toilets. These morale boosting measures/policies will attract our vibrant and energetic youths who may be idle and jobless in the cities and facilitate their return into their respective home towns and villages thereby making the cities to be less overcrowded or congested. The multiplier-effect of that singular step will lead to a drastic/sharp drop in the commission of crimes since our youth will now channel their ever buzzing energies into positive productive ventures in the areas of agricultural and agro-allied industries.
In other words, the rates of crimes like armed robbery, kidnapping, oil-pipeline vandalisation and murder will drop drastically thereby leading to improved national security which is the hallmark of any society aiming at attaining the developed status. And so instead of spending their monthly security-votes to buy bullet-proof vehicles for their protection and those of their family members, our state governors and other top public officials/politicians will inadvertently be doing themselves a lot of favour, if they decide to invest part of this money into food security programmes. Without this, some of them will continue to live in self-imposed prisons in the midst of the people that they are supposed to lead.
When government runs very thriving and successful food security programmes that fight hunger and abject poverty to the barest minimum, there will be no need to spend huge sums of money in order to buy arms and ammunition to ensure national security. Check countries like Netherlands, Norway and Denmark where the crime rates are reportedly very low, one can readily notice considerable high standards of living that do not make room for incidence of hunger and abject poverty among their citizens. Some of them even have to close down some of their prison-facilities for lack of inmates. Yes, prison facilities as high as 17 in number are reportedly vacant especially in the Netherlands. This revelation of empty-jail houses in these very low crime societies may be a food for thought for our policy formulators in our defence and agriculture sectors. There should be a synergy between the operators or key stakeholders in these strategic sectors in order to enhance our national security.
Gbemiga Olakunle, JP
General Secretary, National Prayer Movement