As the 2019 elections continue to draw close, the Voices For Food Security (VFS), has resolved to establish appropriate yardsticks for monitoring the performance of public office holders after the 2019 elections.
VFS is civil society organisation in the agricultural sector.
Addressing the press in Abuja recently, the Chairman, Professor Gabriel Ayoola, said the group will be build a template for benchmarking candidates performances and ensure that they comply with the yearnings of farmers.
He said a number of activities have been lined up to sensitise politicians in that direction at the same time facilitating engagement between farmers and aspirants at the local and state levels elections.
“VFS has collectively resolved to reverse the trend through vigorous advocacy of good practises in favour of farmers during elections in the next dispensation. By election advocacy, we mean a process to engage politicians seeking votes from farmers to come into power in 2019, with a view to sensitising them about issues of interest to farmers and to predetermining heir position on such issues while also obtaining their commitments in addressing them on coming to power.
“Hereunder we briefly highlight and interrogate some of these to be debated and addressed by election candidates and for which their firm commitment must be obtained in their manifestos to seek votes from farmers; otherwise, we shall instigate farmers not to vote for any candidate that fails to meet this condition,” he stated
“The group listed the conditions to include, farmer participation in the policy process, food as a fundamental human right, good agricultural governance, farmer-pastorialist clashes, prioritisation of food security in the budget and rural infrastructure provision.
He said a number of activities to sensitise politicians by partnering with the media while facilitating engagement between the farmers and political aspirants in local, gubernatorial and state level elections and organising pup mobs like the show your PVC rallied.
