Nigerians Impoverished By Over-dependence On Oil – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan while speaking yesterday during the 2015 Agricultural Festival (AGRIFEST) at the Eagle Square, Abuja, the president vowed that there would be no sacred cows among importers who are owing the country on rice import duties.

AGRIFEST is an international agriculture exhibition organised by the Ministry of Agriculture to aid the sector in achieving a green revolution

President Jonathan told the huge number of farmers who attended the event that they could rely on him as their Farmers’ President and be rest assured of his support at all times to further boost your efforts to produce more food for the nation.

He announced the release of N26 billion towards the 2015 Dry Season Farming Programme, saying with the support of the farmers, he hoped to be with them next year as president to do even more for them.

Lamenting the plight of Nigerians, he said, “Our nation is blessed with abundant agricultural resources, but for too long we have depended on crude oil and neglected agriculture. This situation created poverty and suffering in our rural communities.

“Agriculture is now the lifeline for Nigeria. As crude oil prices decline, we must create new wealth from the richness of our soils, the vastness of our rivers and the abundance of our cheap labour. We will produce more, and we will industrialise the agricultural sector.

Noting that the rice revolution is taking place across the country, the president said, while high quality Nigerian rice was now competing favourably with imported rice in the markets, rice importers cannot hold the country hostage.

He said, “Nigeria our dear country will not be held hostage by rice importers. There will be no sacred cows under my watch. All those owing Nigeria on rice import duties must pay. Leadership