National Daily

FG should declare state of emergency in Real, Agric sectors now —NUFBTE

By ANDREW OJIEZEL

WORRIED by the rising cost of food and industrial products in the country, the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), has called on Federal Government to without delay declare state of emergency in real and agricultural sectors.

The National President, Comrade Oyelekan Lateef and the General Secretary of the union, Idowu Yusuff in separate interviews with the National Daily, declared that unless urgent attention was paid to the manufacturing (Real) and agricultural sectors, the country might face acute food shortage in the country.

Similarly the duo urged Federal Government to declare state of emergency on power sector, saying it is only through emergency that drastic situations that would generate drastic solutions in the agricultural, manufacturing and power sectors. Pursuing the seven-point agenda of the Federal Government without adequate arrest of food shortage and electricity, will amounts to chasing a shadow.

In his own statement Oyelekan wondered why there have not been meaningful achievements in the area of electricity despite all the efforts of past administrations, saying why is it taking President Umaru Yar'Adua so long time to bring solutions to the heaps of economic problems he met on ground after one and half years in office.
Oyelekan urged Umaru Yar'Adua to boldly take drastic decision on electricity, if actually he is sincere in achieving the seven point agenda. In the same vein, Yusuf noted that the union was saddened by the slow pace by which Mr. President is addressing the heaps of problems that are confounding the country.

Venting his anger on the rising cost of diesel and kerosene, Yusuf questioned the rationale behind Mr. President's when many companies that have struggled to survive till his inception are not in the brim of closing up or relocating to other African countries because of unfavourable conditions of doing business in the country.

According to him, “Why is it taking President Umaru Yar'Adua so long time to address the many pressing issues that are confronting the country? Having electricity for one hour in Nigeria is miracle, now the only diesel that manufacturers, offices and those individuals that could afford generators have been using has gone out of the reach of the masses. Unless there is urgent address to these kerosene and diesel prices, unions would have to find a way to force the government to address the issues.

“There are vast lands; there are large army of unemployed able bodied men and women in the country. According to Yussuf government should employ the able bodied men and women into agriculture to generate food both for local and export production.