Chukwuma Ekezie raises concerns on impending hunger in Igboland. Calls for aggressive farming.
2 min read
US based Akalite and chieftaincy title holder, Chief Chukwumaeze Ekezie has raised a serious alarm on the impending hunger that may consume the whole of Igboland if not properly checked by Igbo communities, governments and stakeholders. Addressing the publisher of Umuaka Times in a recent official encounter, Chief Ekezie who holds the traditional title of Akajiugo 1 of Akah and Nwachiturugo 1 of Amiyi Akah who lives in Baltimore USA wondered seriously on what has befallen the once strong Igbo race known for her farming abilities.
Chief Ekezie reminded Umuaka Times that from the 80s backwards, what Igbo women were only buying in the markets were salt and fishes while other food items were obtained from the farms and gardens (mgbala) of Igbo women. “The situation is getting seriously bad because no one has deemed it fit to address the impending doom of hunger famine and embrace farming.”
Continuing on his gospel of farming, Ekezie appealed to the Igbo people to go back to farming and get food to first feed themselves not to talk of the ones for sell. “I know how to plant maize, yam, cassava and more, but too bad our boys these days do not know such things. We parents contributed immensely to this ugly development,” Chief Ekezie lamented.
While researching on the hunger concerns raised by Chief Ekezie, Umuaka Times came across a valid document issued by the World Hunger Index in 2021 which is still relevant. Surprisingly, the document listed Nigeria as a country battling serious “hunger epidemic”. The latest update on the issue of hunger concerning Nigeria also shows a bleak food future for the country.
A 2023 UNICEF report on Nigeria laments that 25 million Nigerians are at high risk of food insecurity.
On why Igboland is experiencing hunger, Chief Ekezie confirms: “The quest for white collar jobs and a trip to “obodo oyibo” are the greatest causes of the hunger problem in Igboland today.”
In his conclusion, Chief Ekezie advocated that each family in Igboland especially in Umuaka, should have a farming time table and set a target for itself on the issue of farming and food availability.
On the role of the educational centres and faith based organizations in Igboland, Ekezie strongly appealed to the leaders of such institutions in Igboland to go back to drawing board and make the people happy with the suplusity of food in all Igbo homes.
The situation is so bad today because of the 8 billion people in the world today; 783 million people live in hunger.
