The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation Prof. Joseph Utsev has appealed to Benue people not to be part of the planned nationwide hunger protest being canvassed by some Nigerians.
Prof. Utsev, who made the appeal in Makurdi while distributing fertiliser and irrigation machines in addition to the earlier distribution of farm inputs by the federal government to ensure bumper harvest and all year-round agriculture in Benue, said President Bola Tinubu was aware of the challenges facing the country and was doing everything possible to address them to return Nigeria to greatness.
He informed about the FG intervention, which is ongoing to improve farming activities across the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the minister, “The fertiliser and irrigation machines which are given free of charge were to make agriculture attractive and to encourage more youths and women to venture into farming to make ends meet.”
The minister maintained that with the declaration of a state of emergency on food security, the federal, state and local governments are working assiduously to ensure that every Nigerian has food to eat at no cost.
Prof. Utsev announced that the construction of dams and water schemes across the country, including Benue are ongoing to ensure irrigated agriculture and enable citizens to have access to clean and safe water, especially those in rural communities.
He told Benue people that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has also introduced reforms aimed at improving the lives of citizens, such as Student Loans, Mass Urban Housing Scheme across the 36 states and the FCT, ongoing construction of roads across states to ease vehicular movements and enable farmers to transport their farm produce to markets.
The minister also informed that work on the construction of River Katsina-Ala at Buruku crossing has also commenced. At the same time, approval has been made by the Federal Executive Council for the construction of Makurdi, Gboko and Katsina-Ala Road adding that conscious efforts were being made to tackle insecurity in Benue and other parts of the country.
Prof. Utsev urged the people of Benue to appreciate the tremendous support and attention the state has received under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the appointment of many sons and daughters into key federal positions.
Also speaking, the House of Representatives member representing Kwande Ushongo Federal Constituency, Terseer Ugbor, said the National Assembly is committed to working in synergy with the administration of Tinubu to provide the desired dividends of democracy to citizens as exemplified in the recent passage of a new national minimum wage for Nigerian workers and the Student Loan scheme where thousands of Nigerian students have already been enrolled.