Reps panel: Tinubu has directed nationwide conversion of military lands to agric hubs

Babajimi Benson, chairman of the house of representatives committee on defence, says President Bola Tinubu has directed the conversion of all military lands into agricultural hubs.

Speaking with journalists on Tuesday, Benson said the directive is part of the federal government’s efforts to tackle food shortages and insecurity in the country.

The lawmaker noted that the move would also ensure that no land is left ungoverned across the country.

“I want to thank Mr. President; he has mandated the armed forces to put farming on the front burner to ensure that all the land they have across the country is cultivated for farming because of his belief that if there is food security, insecurity will go down,” Benson said.

“We are taking the initiative by next week. We are going to call the minister of defence and the chief of defence staff to come and explain to us how they want to transform Mr President’s directive into reality. Let the armed forces who protect us and have vast land go and cultivate them.”

Benson commended the armed forces for their efforts in fighting insecurity in the country while thanking the president for ensuring local government autonomy.

“If you empower a local government to have full receipt of their monthly allocations, they don’t have immunity like the governors, and people are aware that now that the shackles are broken, I don’t think there will be any stretch or space in Nigeria that will not be governable,” he said.

“When I received reports from my military people, they told us that there are a lot of ungovernable spaces, areas where no single spec of government presence exists.”