There is more money in agriculture than oil -Anambra regent

By Phil Okose, Onitsha

The regent of Umukwa Atani community, Ogbaru Local Government Area, Anambra State, Onowu Uzowulu Iwuanozi, hinted Tuesday, that soon agriculture will take over the country, stating that there is more money in agriculture than oil.

He gave the hint while Presiding over the new yam festival of the community, stating also that tradition and farming, go together.

He expressed optimism that with the rate the three tiers of Government are focusing on agriculture now, that money will soon be generated in agriculture than oil.

He recalled that the Igweship of the community dated back to about 300 years and would have been older than that of Onitsha, if not for the intra community crises and urged all to embrace peace for rapid infrastructural development of the country, especially as it concerns agriculture.

“Our ancestors and forefathers were born farmers and this Newyam festival we are celebrating is as old as farming, and that is why one can’t do without the other. We get the yam we celebrate from our farm and celebrate it to thank God for the plenty farm produce and also prepare for another period of farming”, he said.

He lamented that youths left farming for white collar job, forgetting that it is through farming that they were brought up by their parents, adding that farmers do not go hungry.

He commended Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, for providing the enabling environment for agriculture and urged him to earmark a preservation centre for farm produce.

“We left our tradition that also involves agriculture to embrace imported tradition. We should support Soludo in his agricultural focus and we implore him to establish food reservation centre in Atani, where we can reserve/preserve our farm produce and sell to government and people during famine,” he said.

“He should also commence rehabilitation of our roads for easy evacuation of the farm produce to the cities. So if everyone embraces farming, I assure you that in no distant time money realize from agriculture will be far greater than the oil money,” he said.

Contributing, the ‘Oti’, high Chief Godwin Onyebuka, said that, Omotu (new yam festival), was a tradition like farming in the land, hinting that yam, as chief crop, has respect more than any other crop in Igbo land which made it to be celebrated.

He lamented that yourhs ran away from farming believing it is punishment and focus on how to get rich quick which leads them to criminal activities that include, armed robbery, kidnapping, thuggery, among others, and urged them to embrace farming.

In their various remarks, Chief Nwachukwu J. Christopher, Nze Ikechukwu, (Owelle)and Ede Ifeanyi Godwin, (a.k.a. Odogwu bi nofia),  all stressed the need for agriculture adding that tradition that involves celebration of the new yam festival  was not fetish and would not go into extinction.