The late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was right. In his book, The Voice of Reason, he looked at the various calamities that can befall mankind and declared: "The rebellion of the stomach is the worst". Food. There is nothing like it. For more than a decade, another man has been involved in the campaign to ensure that it is taken seriously, that the society insures its own future by giving food the kind of attention it deserves.

Next month, Mr. Harris Aib Igiehon will battle for the soul of Edo State on the platform of the National Democratic Party (NDP). He is a greenhorn in politics, but he has paid his dues in socio- cultural and economic engineering. Through one of his companies Aibtonia Promotions Advertising Marketing Nigeria Limited, he has over the years staged food and beverage fairs, which were geared towards showcasing the local agricultural potentialities of the country and integrating all the food cultures in Nigeria.

What else does one expect from a strong advocate of self sufficiency in food if he finds himself in the seat of power? For one, experience has enabled him to perfect his blueprint for the various programmes associated with the subject of food security. Secondly, his dealings with both the public and private sectors may have prepared him to meet the challenges of governance.

According to Igiehon, everything will be done to encourage mass production of quality food. Hear him; "At the moment, our farming is largely at the subsistence level. That will have to change. If we are going to make any mark at all in this area, we must go into mechanised, large scale farming. We have on the drawing board plans that will put us in a position to feed our population well and also service other markets".

"There is a workable strategy on ground. The department (ministry) of agriculture will be made to rise from its present state of slumber and live up to its responsibilities. The professionals on the pay roll of government will put their technical know how to productive use. Some farming families noted for producing specific crops will have the official backing of an NDP led government to make them excel in their trades for the betterment of the state," he further. For instance, he said some families in Uromi are known for growing citrus crops while those of Ekpoma and Agenebode are recognised quality rice farmers. He said the same can be said of several families across Edo State. Apart from stimulating agriculture, the practice, if supported, will also enhance communal cohesiveness which is needed for speedy development.

Located in the rain forest of Nigeria, Edo State has all it takes to be a bread basket. Igiehon and his team are prepared to take advantage of the natural endowment. The various local government areas in the state will be categorised based on the crops for which they have comparative edge.

When that is done, the governorship candidate explained that resources can then be channeled through the commodity banks to be set up by the instrumentality of established banks. Because of the volume of productive and commercial activities expected in this sector, Igiehon said availability of funds is paramount. "Poultry farmers will have an institution to source capital from, yam farmers will have another bank to do so, and so on," he noted.

When the stakeholders are identified, he told THISlife that the state government will serve as guarantors for the procurement of these loans.

The NDP flag bearer is optimistic that the relationship that will be developed between these financial establishments will be beneficial to all the parties involved and hopefully sustained.

Another remarkable feature of the farming programme of an Igiehon led administration in Edo State will be the establishment of commodity markets. A whole lot of ingenuity has gone into the mapping out of how this will work in a country where persistent, painstaking implementation of policies and programmes are yet to be a virtue. It is anticipated that production will hit an all time peak.

What then would happen to the marketing since the local (state) population would not be able to absorb what is produced ? He said this will become the meeting point for agriculture and commerce. The agency in charge of marketing will be responsible for buying from farmers and selling to buyers around the nation and outside, particularly the West African subregion.

"Commodity markets will be set up as state level," he explained. "They will be run by professionals in capital market and agricultural economists who will regulate the purchase of farm commodities from farmers as well as control marketing and sales of same to larger markets".

These markets will regulate the distribution and prices of the designated goods in order to check things like under or overpricing and also food flight.

"Government guidelines have to be followed so that foodstuff are not rushed outside the state before the people have the chance to consume them. You have to take care of your constituency first. You must not leave things to market forces, which often suppress and oppress the people. The wealth of the people should first and foremost serve the people," he further stated.

He said provision will be made for farmgate warehouses for storage while awaiting onward movement to the markets. Not only that. He noted that farm gate cottage industries will be established with the active participation of private investors to cater for the processing of the raw food (materials) that will be produced.

For instance, a juice plant will be located near a pineapple plantation. Rice and others will also be packaged locally. Jobs will be created that way and prosperity will be enhanced.

Igiehon sees his food production and marketing plan as the major catalyst in the general economic "restoration" of the state.

"We will do what we can to empower our people. That is one way they can have a voice. Land is one of the most important factors in agriculture and the people have access to it. So we can start from there. We are looking at something that is capable of becoming the economic backbone of the state and the nation, something that can enrich us in every way. And we will not let this opportunity slip by, he stressed." Not only has the 51 year old architect made a commitment to push his dream through, his success so far as promoter and marketer may be what Edo State needs to use available natural resources to free itself from economic limitations and fly high.