The looming food crisis

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By  Theo Adebowale

Food is essential.  The Yoruba are of the strong belief that once it is excluded from poverty, what remains is lack.  It is a healthy person that can be assessed as poor, hence it is said that health is wealth.  For health to be secure, food must be regular, and appetite must be in place.  Egbon does not joke with his meals.  His menu comprises pounded yam, wheat, semovita, amala with abula, that is, ewedu and gbegiri.

In pidgin English, they are classified as ‘swallow’, and he must swallow at least once a day.  The other meals can be grains and cereals, but he must swallow once a day, minimum.  Suddenly, he started feeling pains in his feet.  They started swelling and he started losing his human right of movement.  Before long, he conceded freedom of assembly.  Many drugs, and later herbs were prescribed, suggested and offered him.

Then suddenly, his appetite noticeably disappeared.  That was when his relations and associates knew that there was danger.  One of his confidants suggested to serve him a favorite delicacy: rice cooked soft, then turned, fresh fish, snail with gbegiri.  His appetite was restored as he consumed the meal impressively. It was a breakthrough, they thought.  Subsequent offers were not similarly received.  The frustration of the housekeeper was measurable in the dramatic change of an enthusiastic consumer to an unwilling partaker of dining.  The patient must take food to be administered the drugs.  Concern was not primarily on his health; behind the panic was his refusal of food.

Then ten months later his appetite was restored, there was joy in the house.  The grapevine has it that his appetite is now a major concern.  As such an extended virtual family conference is in the pipeline.  The conference is to deliberate on the looming food crisis in a time of pandemic.  It is peddled that Ayokunle’s self appointed tasks of notifying the family about fresh loaves of bread being delivered at the Daily Needs store in the neighbourhood would also come up for consideration at the forum.

At a meeting before meeting a few hours ago, it was learnt that a family member was pointing out that the feeding bill may come down when Federal Government begins to feed pupils who are now on holiday in their different homes.  But another called attention to the fact that only pupils in public schools would be fed.  He claimed that those of the schools on the move, that is Mobile School Unit were on priority.  The deportation policy of the Governors of the northern states has made them more vulnerable.  With the dwindling oil resources and attendant paucity of funds, the Federal Government had better pick the bill by feeding almajiri once a day.  This would also make funds available to officials and contractor caterers to further provide philanthropic services in their private capacity.  But these enthusiasts have been counseled to drop that input because it has a partisan undertone which might inadvertently, overtly or covertly include hate speech.  A Christian family must not allow politics to feature in matters that are substantially private.

Since we are all agreed that health is wealth and food is a major pillar of health, it is imperative to make adequate budgetary provision for food.  When school is in session, pupils and students are occupied by their studies.  But now that there is a lockdown, children are at home with an inordinate appetite getting more reckless by the day.  When in the last few days, parents and guardians started to advocate for reopening of educational institutions, we are not fooled to forget that it is the budgetary allocation for food, more than any other consideration that is responsible for such an agitation.  It is not only the youngsters that are responsible for the ever escalating cost of feeding.  There are many people like Egbon that have just recovered their appetite and as if the system must recover the many meals that were forfeited to poor appetite; they continue to consume much more food.  Hunger does not discriminate between public and private officials.  Neither does it exclude self employed people nor job seekers from its operation.  In the immediate, families have got to respond to a high surge in food consumption at home with serious effect on family income, which in turn has precipitated crime rate.  In Akure, Corolla and Hillux vehicles are being stolen on a daily basis.  The vehicles can easily be disposed at getaway prices.  Revenue from such criminal transactions would be used to meet domestic and related expenses.  In Oba Ile, they may be traced to a certain hide out on Dr Soji Omowole Street, very close to the Airport Road.

In Lagos, they are more daring and better organised having acquired some feature of a movement ‘sa ina wole’ is a group of youngsters of primary schools age.  They are homeless and engage in pilfering, providing potters’ services in local markets.  They fend for themselves and pass the night by the railways.  Omo Kesari is a group of teenagers and youths, miscreants ‘No salary members’ is another group of miscreants emerging or becoming more popular in the days of the pandemic.  ‘One million Boys’ is another group of youths with no hounorable means of livelihood.  Reports claim that some of them might have completed youth service but were still searching for jobs before the outbreak of the plague.  Like the almajiri, they move in groups with dangerous weapons including machetes, iron rods and fire arms.  They descend on streets and estates primarily to empty kitchens and food stores.  They dispossess residents of their money and many also decide to molest women and girls, even though their primary goal is to get food for today, and where possible to save for the next day.

The food crisis is so deep that one needs to pay studied attention to phrases and comments of different categories of citizens to understand the gravity.  Initially, it was members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party that were fond of claiming that they were starving when their party was not in power.  Since the dispersion of politicians following incessant defection from one party to another, it has become a sing song among those excluded from spoils of office to claim that they are starving.  Whether at the level of individual like Egbon whose appetite has just been restored, or school children forced out of school by the lockdown, jobless and homeless groups of unemployed and unemployable, a food crisis is looming.  Those who have access to legitimate and illegitimate public funds must get ready for it.  They must address their mind to the impending danger posed by one million boys, omo Kesari, no salary members and sana wole.  Bearing in mind that international trips have become near impossible, they must work out a solution urgently.  Bearing in mind also that the global economy is sliding fast into depression, a lasting solution must be designed.  Law enforcement agents are already overwhelmed by the enormity of their legitimate assignment coupled with the ravaging hunger and the presence of bad eggs it is easy for their personnel to compromise.

Whereas in the Northern Hemisphere, death rate of coronavirus victims remain high, they are making frantic efforts to reopen their economies.  In Nigeria however there are threats to shut down the economy for another four weeks, to extend curfews and to send to jail or quarantine persons who breach some of the rules.  Some public officials see the current situation as an opportunity to generate revenue to individuals, master’s or private pockets.  The Executive Governor of River State has even gone farther than any other Chief Executive the world over.  He now combines the functions of arrest, prosecution and adjudication.  His Excellency literarily personally pulls down buildings where there is allegedly a breach of regulations.  He has reportedly placed a five million naira reward on someone or group on the run.  Hope he would not order an immediate execution.

Hunger is on rampage.  Prices of food items are soaring, governors are blaring their fangs at violators.  But all these beg the issue.  There is need to address the impending food crisis.

This is the planting season when beyond restrictions and exercise of powers, alternative must be found to calm hungry and angry nerves. Farmers must be motivated to cultivate the ground otherwise, food crisis would not be contained by the force of arm.