Marcel Duru raises serious alarm on looming hunger in Igboland.
2 min read
Kano based legal practitioner and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Marcel Duru (the Akajiugo 1 of Umuaka), has raised an alarm on the rate of hunger that will afflict the entire Igboland in the nearest future if no serious interventions are put in place by the people. Reacting to a recent Umuaka Times story titled, Hunger will hit 30 million Nigerians by 2025, Chief Duru suggested to the people of Umuaka to do their best and save themselves from the looming hunger that hard times will bring upon them. “It should be obvious to any right thinking person that the only way to avert the coming devastating hunger in our country is to embark on massive enlightenment of our people to cultivate every available piece of land and indulge in other aspects of agriculture like poultry, fish farming, snails rearing etc.”
It can be recalled that in 2023, Chief Duru made a similar call when he appealed to Akalites to go into yam planting method of using bags to plant yam tubers.
In a move to make sure that the people of the community will not suffer any form of hunger by the year 2025, the Senior Advocate wondered what it would be during the period of “onwuanu” compared to the present situation of things.
“If agricultural products are this expensive now that we are in traditional harvesting period, you can imagine what it will be like when we enter the period we Igbo call “owanu” next year!”
According to World Food Program, by the end of 2024, 26 million Nigerians will not be able to feed themselves and by 2025, the number will increase to 30 million.
Asked to describe the level of hunger that may befall the people if nothing is done on time to checkmate the food disaster, Chief Duru aptly put it thus: “My brother, I foresee hunger Armageddon coming o. The type that prompted Jacob in the Bible to send his children to Egypt to go in search of food!”
From the advocacies of Chief Duru, all hopes are not lost; there is a way out if only the people will listen. “They only way to avert it is to be properly prepared because as we say in Igbo, “agha eyiri eyi adighi eri nwangwro.” (a scheduled war does not consume the life of a crippled fellow). Our people also say “ukpala okpoko gburu, nti shiri ya.” It is either the people plunge themselves into agricultural activities or the government must indulge in massive importation of subsidized food stuffs.”
The message has been passed and it is left for the people to listen. In a similar development, Umuaka Charity Foundation program to empower 100 youths in agriculture is still ongoing and needs the support of the people.
