Igbo can feed themselves – South East group reacts to food blockade

Town unions in the South East, yesterday, said the Igbo can feed themselves without food items from outside the region; noting that the blockade on food supplies to Igboland by the North cannot make them cower, shake or scamper for help.

They also said the threat by some northern groups to end the supply of food items to the zone has helped the plan of Ndigbo through Association of South East Town Unions (ASETU) to attain total self-sufficiency in food production.

The group’s National President, Emeka Diwe, and the Secretary, Gideon Adikwuru, in a statement said it will within a short time put a stop to the capital flight caused by what they called “the imperialism of the northern agro-cartels in Igboland.”

ASETU said the agricultural components of its think-home investment initiative, the Aku Ruo Ulo campaign, launched last year, were now in full swing.

To attain food security and sufficiency in protein production, ASETU said it had since flagged off pilot piggery projects in the five states of the zone, and with species which mature within a short period; Igboland will very soon export pork to the world.

The town unions also disclosed their investments in mechanised crop production, cattle ranching and poultry.

It then urged all the presidents general of town unions in the communities to coordinate the efforts in line with the framework already released to them.

“The target is to encourage the steady and seamless repatriation of Igbo wealth back home, thereby unleashing the potential in all the sectors of the local economy and facilitate job and wealth creation for our people through various value chains.

“We also enjoin Igbo people in the diaspora and other parts of Nigeria to reach out to their presidents general to know the areas of comparative advantage within their localities into which investible capital can be funnelled.

“We prepared for it, and it has aided the materialisation of our initiative and fast-tracked our agenda which is to harvest home our wealth and make our land an oasis of prosperity among the Black race,” ASETU said. (Daily Sun)