Why there is food insecurity in Southern Nigeria – Senator Ezea

The Senator representing Enugu North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Barr. Okey Ezea, yesterday, identified the deplorable state of the Otukpo-Obollo Afor-Opi-9th Mile Road as the cause of food insecurity in Southern Nigeria.

Ezea, who said that 80% of the food items consumed in Southern Nigeria come from the North, added that prices of foodstuffs have skyrocketed in the zone due to the impassable nature of the aforementioned road which serves as the only gateway from North to South.

He made the disclosure during a Town Hall Meeting organized by the member representing Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency in the House of the Representatives, Hon. Chidi Obetta, to interact with his constituents.

The Senator who said that the attention of the Federal Government has been drawn to the road through motions moved by the lawmakers from the Senatorial District added “The cost of transporting a full trailer load of yam from Zaki Biam in Benue State to Southern Nigeria is higher than the cost of the yam because of the bad state of Otukpo-Obollo Afor-Opi-9th Mile Road. We are hungry in Southern Nigeria because of the current condition of that road.”

In his address to his constituents, Hon. Obetta, who is also the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Legislative Budget and Research, said that the town hall meeting became necessary in order to identify areas of needs of the constituents.

Hon. Obetta who also opened two constituency offices at Nsukka, and Igbo-Eze South Local Government Areas of Enugu State, equally appointed 36 Special Assistants to aid his interactions with his constituents across the 36 wards in the Constituency.

He equally identified 91 projects across in the Constituency and pledged to tackle them head on.

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He also said “Since my inauguration into the 10th House of Representatives on the 13th of June 2023, I have moved a motion on the “Urgent Need for Federal Government’s intervention in the Flooding Menace and Resultant Gully Erosion in Alor-Uno Community”, as a result of this Motion, officials from National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria (NEMA) have visited Alor-Uno Community to ascertain how best to tackle the flooding and erosion issues. I am also interfacing with the Ecological Fund Office to get their assistance towards finding a lasting solution to these challenges.

“I co-sponsored a motion with my brother colleagues from Enugu North, Hon. Dennis Agbo, Hon. Stainless Nwodo and Hon. Sunday Omehia on the “Need for Federal Government to fund the rehabilitation of the Otupko, Obollo-Afor,9th Mile Road. I have equally presented a Bill to Establish Federal Medical Centre Obukpa, Nsukka and the Bill has passed First Reading. Our Constituency presently has no tertiary health facility despite being the host community of the first post-colonial Tertiary Institution in the Country, the University of Nigeria Nsukka, the venue of this Town Hall meeting today. 

“The need to have a tertiary health facility in a constituency as densely populated as ours cannot be overemphasized.I am also co-sponsoring a Motion with my brother Hon. Dennis Agbo, on the “Urgent Need for Federal Government to fund the Construction of the deplorable Ogrute-Umuida-Unadu-Akpanya Odolu Road” in Igbo-Eze South LGA. This road links communities in Enugu and Kogi States.

“I have on behalf of a constituent presented before the House, a Petition against the bureaucracy of the Supreme Court. You overwhelmingly elected me to be your voice in the Green Chambers, and through me your voices will be heard loudly and clearly. I assure you that I will continue to champion causes that will bring development and growth to Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency.”

The Town Hall Meeting was attended by critical stakeholders in the Constituency including the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Charles Igwe, who was represented by his Deputy, Prof. Pat Okpoko; the Labour Party gubernatorial candidate in Enugu State, Chijioke Edeoga; member, representing Igbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency, Hon. Dennis Agbo.

Others include church leaders; traditional rulers and leaders of labour unions in the state, including members of the Enugu State House of Assembly.