Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged Nigerian governors to rise up and tackle the issue of food scarcity in the country, saying that, addressing it, will go a long way in solving other problems.
He made the call at the commissioning of 136 Housing Units in Sokoto State.
He stated that health security and food security, which are necessary for survival, should be prioritized by the government.
According to Obasanjo, “Governor, after you have taken care of infrastructure, food, transportation, water, sanitation, housing, which we are in now, is more important. That is what we in Nigeria today call ‘stomach infrastructure’.
‘Stomach infrastructure’ in local parlance means taking care of loyalists and supporters in shaping strategies.
Obasanjo said, “After personal security, is food security. There is health security. Personal security takes a bit of health security along with it. Because if you have a correct diet, your health security is taken care of”.
Obasanjo who was the Chief host on the occasion, tasked the governor of the state, Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto to take advantage of the large expanse of land left at the housing Estate and construct additional 100 housing Units, bringing the total houses to 236.
Earlier, Governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto of Sokoto State said the 136 Housing Units, comprising 1-2-3 Bedrooms, were built by the federal government for N3.9 billion.
He disclosed that the Houses were acquired by the State government for N1.8 billion to provide affordable shelters for government workers in Sokoto State.
He lamented that the intervention by his administration would help to bridge the gap in housing deficit in the state.