Community Food Development Through “Pragmatic Socialism”

DON EBUBEOGU

Dr. Michael Iheonukara Okpara, the Premier of Eastern Nigeria during the First Republic was a strong advocate of what he called ”Pragmatic Socialism”, by using agricultural reform to advance the economic development of the then Eastern Nigeria.

Under the leadership of Dr Michael Okpara, acclaimed as the most radical, progressive and result-oriented Nigerian politician, agriculture was the center-piece of his development policy, using the Eastern Nigerian Development Corporation (ENDC).

To understand the ”Pragmatic Socialism” of Dr Michael Okpara, let’s read an extract of his speech while unveiling his economic plan, thus, ”it is this consciousness and burning desire to raise the standard of living of our people, the unflinching determination to assault poverty from all fronts, that has been distilled into the 1962-68 development plan. Inviting the people as citizens of a democratic region to examine, approve, criticise or condemn any portion of the plan (the plan is the peoples plan) it provides for the development of the small village, it touches on the requirements of the largest city; it caters for the need of the smallest peasant industry and prescribes the means for the mounting of the biggest industries”.

In demonstrating this foresight, Dr. Michael Okpara used agriculture to achieve micro and macro economic growth of the Eastern Nigeria, using the platform of the Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation’s (ENDC) to establish farm estates of oil palm, rubber, cocoa, cashew and rice, with the intercropping of pineapples, banana, plantains and cassava.

These farms include the expensive rubber plantation located in Amaeke Abam, Ndioji Abam, Arochukwu, Ozuitem, the Ikwu, Imo River waterways, Ubani Ibeku, the massive oil palm plantations of Kwa falls, Calaro, Ikom and others in Cross River state and Umuekune in Imo state. Within the Eastern Nigeria, ENDC planted about 2,619,200 cocoa trees.

Cashew was not left out. The plant was purposefully used for the erosion control and the afforestation schemes of the defunct Eastern Nigeria. Cashew plantations still litter the escarpment areas of Udi, Mbala, Oghe, Oji, Isuochi and Kingie in Eastern Nigeria.

These items formed the nucleus that made the economic growth of the Eastern Nigeria, the fastest in Africa, between 1962-1968. Today, States which were part of the Eastern Nigeria are still benefitting from the proceeds of this foresight.

In studying Dr. Michael Okpara ’s ”Pragmatic Socialism” I firmly believe that our society is not ripe for the wholesome contemporary Capitalism as practiced in advanced countries. Commodities like food and its sufficiency must continue to be at the front burners of our economic direction and the cardinal objective of Nigerian society through government/community intervention. We must recognize the fact that until our society evolves significantly, some capitalist principles will need to be overlooked, while we focus on sustainable food security for our people.

Ironically, Dr. Michael Okpara was too busy building the economy of Eastern Nigeria that he probably didn’t have enough money or time to build a house for himself. He died and was buried in a house built for him by friends and political associates.

Do we have more Dr. Michael Okpara in government today? Absolutely no! Can we be Dr. Michael Okpara in our various communities and replicate what he did and stood for? Can we grow the economy of our towns and villages without applying the principles of capitalism? Can we practice Pragmatic Socialism to grow food sufficiency and drive the rural economy?

Mr. Suleiman Dikwa, a friend and business associate, who is the CEO of Green Sahara Farms Limited, sent me an article that simply blew my head and answered the above posers.

Extract from the article reads as follows: “soon will be the season of fruits such as Pawpaw, tangerines, orange, mango, avocado, watermelon, lemon, dates palm, etc. My request to everyone is not to throw the seeds in the trash, but instead to wash them, dry them (in the sun) and store them in a paper bag or envelop and store them in the car. Every time you go out to a field or when travelling, throw these seeds on an empty roadsides or riverside. With this simple act, we can contribute at least one tree each season”.

The Thai government has promoted this idea to its citizens in recent years. The number of fruit trees in the wild has multiplied, especially in the northern districts of Thailand.

Imagine a situation where every town and villages go further to make a deliberate policy that each adult should plant one economic tree every year, either on the roadside, forest, streams or open fields, as part of the Private Social Responsibility, for the use of the communities. Imagine the number of trees and economic benefits of thousands of mango, pawpaw, oranges, cashew, cocoa and palm in the next 5 years in your community or state.

While driving through some part of Idemili in Anambra State and Isuikwuato in Abia State, you will see thousands of mango and cashew trees providing source of income to so many families. Those trees were planted more than 50 years ago with Pragmatic Socialism in mind. We can drive the economy of our rural areas applying Pragmatic Socialism.

The world needs more trees. Eat your fruits and use the seeds to propagate. Start today to help nature and humanity. Give life to trees and plants and contribute to the food security for your grandchildren.

When Genesis 1:28 said, “be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth”, it does not have only the bedroom in mind.