Hot SourceA non-profit, non-partisan organisation based in Kogi State, Yagba Action Group (YAG), has made passionate call on Governor Usman Ododo to rescue a prominent livestock farmer, Chief Ajayi Bello, who was kidnapped about two weeks ago.
Bello, aged 72, is Chairman, Kogi State Poultry Association, by extension Poultry Association of Nigeria.
His abduction from his farm in Ponyan, Yagba East Local Council in Kogi State, has sent shockwaves to the agricultural community in Nigeria as he has remained in the kidnappers’ den with the government not making enough efforts to rescue him.
However, YAG, in a statement yesterday signed by its chairman, Tunde Olusunle, an Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Abuja, said that the federal and state governments, have repeatedly failed Nigerians, whose minimum desire is round-the-clock security to enable them pursue their vocations.
YAG expressed fears about the sad reality of what it termed the “systematic and well organised plan by Fulani, funded by faceless agents to displace Yagba and Okun people and takeover their land.
The group further stated that keeping a man of 72years whose family confirmed is both diabetic and tending to prostate issues for this long is most disheartening. They consider the continuing detention of Ajayi Bello by his abductors wicked, while calling out the Kogi State government for unimaginable inertia.
The group expressed deep concern about the safety and security of the septuagenarian farmer, contending that Kogi State governor, Ododo, and agents of government can no longer keep sealed lips, and must expedite action to rescue the senior citizen.
YAG added that failure of government to protect or take the appropriate actions in situations like this erodes the confidence of the citizenry who have dedicated their lives to serving the nation.
“That he remains in captivity two weeks after his abduction, with seemingly little effort from the government to secure his release, is a reminder of the vulnerability of rural communities to banditry and kidnapping,” the group said.
It echoed the voices of concerned farmers in the region who have alleged they have yet to read any official release from the Kogi State Commissioner of Agriculture, the Minister of Agriculture, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) or even the Livestock Farmers’ Associations, on the development.
Ajayi Bello retired from Guinness Nigeria Ltd, a foremost Nigerian beverage production concern about a decade ago, and returned to his birthplace, Ponyan, where he established an ultramodern livestock business. It has been suggested, that the enterprise engages about 200 casual workers who mostly harvest and sort eggs from the project. Bello’s clientele extends beyond Kogi State, to neighbouring Kwara, Ekiti and Ondo states.
In a related development, Dayo Thomas, a senior journalist and farmer from Yagba, in a statement trending on the social media titled “ Community in Crisis: Why Kidnapped Farmer, Chief Ajayi Bello Needs National Attention,” has warned Nigerian authorities that Pa Bello’s abduction has far-reaching implications for the agricultural sector in Nigeria.
According to him, “Chief Bello’s abduction is not just a local issue. It has far-reaching implications for the agricultural sector in Nigeria. As a prominent figure in the industry, his safety and security are crucial to maintaining the confidence of farmers and investors. The thought of his community, Ponyan, and surrounding areas living in fear and anxiety, hesitant to tend to their farms, is a dire prospect. How can we tackle food insecurity when farmers and their crops are no longer safe? I urge the government to take immediate action to address the security challenges facing rural communities.”
Continuing, Thomas noted: “Farmers are the backbone of our economy, and it is the government’s responsibility to protect them. We need to rethink security in our villages and communities, which practically feed our urban centres. What plan does government at all levels have for farmers kidnapped from their farms or whose crops have been destroyed? The answer to these questions will determine the future of agriculture in Nigeria. The kidnapping of Chief Ajayi Bello is a wake-up call for all stakeholders in the agricultural sector. We must come together to demand action from the government to ensure the safety and security of farmers and their crops.” The fate of food security and the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians depend on the sustenance of a convenient atmosphere for agriculture, crop or pastoral, Thomas noted.
