Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has clarified that the proposed prayer sessions to be held within the ministry were organised to address staff concerns over a series of sudden deaths of management staff, not as a strategy to tackle food security.

In a press statement issued yesterday by the Assistant Information Officer for the Director of Information, Ezeaja Ikemefuna,  the ministry said the ongoing prayer sessions were merely an internal initiative by the Human Resource Department to address staff well-being and were not a policy directive.

“The ministry’s attention is drawn to the internal circular of the Human Resource Management Department being circulated by online media; in this regard, the ministry wishes to inform that the prayer session is an initiative of the Human Resource Department to address the well-being of the staff just as the already existing monthly aerobic exercise and establishment of the gymnasium in the ministry are for physical fitness as the regular medical check-up of staff is for their health,” the statement explained.

According to the ministry, the prayer sessions were introduced in response to anxiety among staff following the “recent untimely and successive death of management staff of the Ministry.”

“The staff also deem it not out of place to pray for the country, hence the theme of the prayer sessions ‘Divine Intervention for Protection and National Development,’” it added.

Emphasising that the prayer initiative should not be misconstrued, the ministry clarified: “It must be emphasised that this is not an official policy by the ministry to address agriculture and food security issues in the country. But in response to the yearnings of staff who are apprehensive following the death of some of their colleagues in recent times.”

The statement also outlined several efforts currently being undertaken by the Honourable Minister.

“The Honourable Minister has been working assiduously to ensure food and nutrition security for the country in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration.

“The ministry has taken delivery of over a thousand tractors to support farmers and has signed the commercialisation phase under the supervision of President Tinubu.

 “Another of his initiatives is the Strategic Grain Reserve and Market Stabilisation of prices, where about 42,000 metric tonnes of grains and an additional 58,200 metric tonnes of milled rice grains were distributed,” the statement added.

The statement added that there was also the donation of 2,150,000 bags of fertilisers by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to curb food inflation.

It added that the government has also approved the recapitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture to the tune of N1.5 trillion, launched the National Electronic Extension Platform, and initiated reforms in the cooperative sector through training and workshops.

Additionally, the ministry has partnered with the World Bank on the $600 million Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, rehabilitating 200,000 kilometres of rural roads, and distributing free agricultural inputs nationwide under various schemes, including the National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket.

In collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission, the Ministry is also working on a data management initiative to ensure accurate identity verification for farmers.

Reiterating its commitment to tangible results, the Ministry stressed that “the prayer session is an internal initiative of staff to address the concern over sudden deaths in the Ministry and not intended to replace or downplay the remarkable effort and achievement of the Ministry and other stakeholders in achieving food security in the Nation.”

Many news agencies had reported that the ministry sent out an internal circular dated June 11 directing all staff of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to participate in prayer and fasting sessions on June 16, 23, and 30.

The spiritual exercise, themed “Divine Intervention for Protection and National Development,” was aimed at seeking divine guidance to support Nigeria’s food security efforts.

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