Veteran Farmer: 'Let's Celebrate General Moses Obi as the World Moves to leave no one behind'

LET'S CELEBRATE GENERAL MOSES OBI AS THE WORLD MOVES TO LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND

By Florence Kekong.

From Warrior To Farmer, veterans are serving our nation much more beyond imagination. Their training and astounding skills acquired during service makes them nation's builders emeritus. 

This year's World Food Day was celebrated with mark difference, change to traditional narratives, with significant call to society never  "Leave no one behind" and so, it is apt to bring to the  fore, the need to  celebrate General Moses Obi(Rtd), a veteran " Food Hero"  feeding  families silently, including you and I. 

Of course, there could never have been a better time to acknowledge  the immense contributions he has made in service to Humanity, than now that Food Heroes are being recognised across the globe. 

General Obi's passion for agriculture brings to mind the Bible verse that says,  "Train up a child the way he should go, when he grows, he will never depart from it". 

Retired Gen, Obi, a dynamic vortex  "ChangeMaker"  has been society's builder from youths, raising the standard of living of his people.

The warrior turned farmer, the retired  General's pessimistic view  of the future spontaneously led him into drawing a roadmap to tackle hunger in his Okubushuyu Boki community with the establishment of an integrated fish farm (mushroom enterprise inclusive) planned to provide daily access to adequate protein sources.

Not only did he establish a farm in Boki, his country home town,  he also established a commercial  farm at Abuja that is home to  livestock, snails, mushrooms and aquaculture, with a handy hatchery and Poultry feed mill  producing own compounded feed that makes animal husbandry seamless.

When asked why he is so  involved in farming almost everything  that is consumed daily, even when he should be resting, having retired from the army,  he was quick to say enthusiastically, "Don't forget that I am a Boki man and I was farming intensively alongside my parents, before I joined the army". 

Also, he does not forget to mention that his own son is also a passionate farmer.

 

A tour  round his Abuja farm would leave you with no doubt that this live-wire  Boki-born man of many worlds is indeed,  an inspiration to Social Entrepreneurs and a motivational force igniting people and communities to take actions to build a  sustainable future  with food for all.

In most exceptional ways, Obi is shifting the paradigm from 

conventional farming and helping to reduce food waste,  to making our agrifood systems more inclusive and sustainable.

In extraordinary ways, General Obi is proving that we all need to be part of the hunger challenge and we do not necessarily have to wait for government,  private companies, Civil Society or academia and individuals. 

Gen Obi (Rtr) demonstrated this by establishing a fish farm surrounded with green vegetables in his Okubushuyu, Boki country home. 

This has been a relatively laudable initiative that is not only boosting nutrition in rural households but offering employment opportunities and building the skills of the people in the community and its environs.

Without a shadow of  doubt, the fact that this passionate "Food Hero"  has always been at the forefront of the campaign( even before the 2022 clarion call) to ensure that "No one is left alone",  it is evident that he enabled many community people to be able to work and harness the benefits from the farm.

Though there have been daunting challenges usually associated with any good projects,  Gen Obi (Rtr)  has been to surmount the teething problems and is patiently working silently to impact community through employment, empowerment, using varying  food production enterprises , with a view to raising general standard of living of the people.

Presently, arrangements are on top gear to establish a money spinning venture- Plantain  chips production. A laudable initiative that would also add value not only  to the economy of the Boki people and the nation at large.

2022 theme for the World Food Day celebration, "Leave no one behind", still finds us where we are,with increased  social and environmental problems that are affecting global food security. Thus, denying progress to many people globally and by implication, limiting progress.

Retired Gen Obi's comitment to enabling community resilience is bringing positive action that is igniting  the world's quest to build a sustainable environment where everyone,  would have regular access to good, safe,  nutritious food.

It is no wonder that his Boki people recognised his passion for community service to Humanity that they chose him as best choice amongst other illustrious sons and daughters,  to be the Boki Nation's leader in all its ramifications,  though hinged  on the apex body of the Boki Ochebe Boki.

Gen Obi (Rtr) built himself an  unequalled professional career excellence whilst in the Military and his antecedents in community service continue to distinguished him amongst equals.

So it's time for the loudest ovation, let's  roll the drums and celebrate this forward-thinking, and innovative Entrepreneur, solving problems and creating impactful change in the lives of others in the commununities.

Let the celebration never cease. When, unison, society celebrate a rare gem,  we become a great power of change......