The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has faulted the claim by the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde that his government was responsible for the recent nationwide drop in food prices.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the opposition party described the claim as “a deliberate falsehood aimed at misleading the public and diverting attention from a government that has done more harm than good to the masses.”
Sadare was reacting to comments reportedly made by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, during a visit by the Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, and journalists to his office at the State Secretariat in Ibadan.
The APC dismissed the claim, accusing Governor Makinde of lacking a clear agricultural policy and frustrating both local farmers and investors in the sector.
“Nigeria’s quest to achieve and sustain food security is being largely hindered by the likes of Gov. Makinde, who take pride in paying lip service while frustrating local farmers and prospective investors in a key sector of the economy — agriculture,” the statement read.
The party further said that the recent decline in food prices was a national trend that could not be attributed to any single state governor.
“For the sake of record, the desirable crash in the prices of food commodities as being experienced in recent weeks is a national phenomenon which no governor is capable of facilitating,” Sadare said. “If any state governor should share in the credit, it can never be one who has converted most farmlands to housing estates, abandoned rural farmers to their fate, and scared away serious investors from his state.”
The APC also accused the governor of mismanaging previous agricultural initiatives. It cited the ₦1 billion allegedly spent in 2019 to sponsor youths to Nasarawa State for agricultural training, claiming that none of the beneficiaries had since established any farms in Oyo State.
The statement also referenced the ₦7.6 billion loan reportedly obtained in 2020 for the rehabilitation of the Akufo and Eruwa farm estates, alleging that the funds were diverted.
Sadare added that Makinde’s rebranding of the Oyo State Agricultural Development Programme (OYSADEP) to Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA) was a ploy to “hijack the agency’s equipment and property.”
“So, how can he still lay claim to being responsible for cheaper food items in the market in view of his disservice to the masses?” Sadare queried.
The party urged the Makinde administration to focus on meaningful agricultural development rather than “making baseless and self-glorifying claims.”
