Celebs back farmers’ clamour to end empty political promises

WITH the belief that traders and farmers formed over 75 per cent of real electorate development in the country, Nollywood stars Kanayo .O. Kanayo and Ebube Nwagbo, who were in Abuja on Monday for the ‘Farmers Manifesto and The Traders Charter of Demand Presentation’, have thrown their weight behind the farmers, who claim politicians have failed in their promises for the agricultural sector.

The need to speak up is against the backdrop of the upcoming 2019 general elections and the certainty that politicians will come to solicit votes from members of the farmers’ association.

Declaring her stand for the course, Nwagbo stated: “It was a great pleasure to be invited alongside my senior colleague and veteran @kanayo.o.kanayo to the public presentation of #the farmers manifesto and the trader’s charter of demand presentation to give our support and give a talk on it.

“It was quite an eye opening one, and a cause that was much needed in the agricultural sector and Nigeria at large. It’s time for the politicians to be held accountable for all the promises made during elections. No more empty promises. It’s a known fact that the farmers and traders make up 75% of the electoral votes made during elections.

“It’s also a known fact that the Nigerian agricultural sector is the second largest contributor to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP. But it’s a sector that needs not to be ignored anyway. It’s going to boost the economy situation in the most tremendous way ever if given the adequate requirements. Food security is the key in any nation and we all know that hunger is no respecter of man,” she further stressed.

The President of National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS), Mr. Ken Ukaoha, added that several promises by politicians of a 24-hour power supply to help the optimal performance of businesses; free education at all level; good roads for harvested products to be conveyed from farms to markets; good health and better transportation system have all gone unfulfilled.