Ordinary Ahmed is very controversial.
His poignant and in-your-face style of
community journalism has attracted flaks
from both government officials and
members of the elite. He is known for biting
so hard on strong issues and treading
where even spirits fear to go.
But his cheeky presentation and sometimes
uncouth manner of engagement seems to
have broken the door that separates the
leaders from the lead; and earned him
tremendous respect among the citizenry.
And today, it seems the powers-that-be
perceive the power that this “ordinary man”
wields; because from law enforcement
officials to political figures, no one wants to
be said to “snub” Brekete Family.

When the Family summons (via a telephone
call) any leader to the court of public
opinion, he or she comes running!
But most importantly, this pedestal has
made the Brekete Family Programme a
veritable platform for quick reach to the
grassroots. Any information put out
through the programme spreads like
wildfire. This is because, at least in Abuja,
almost every ‘common Nigerian’ you see in
the morning is near his/her radio listening
in.
This is exactly why I consider it very
significant that the GMO brouhaha has
found its way to Brekete Family.
Last Tuesday’s live programme on Abuja’s
Love FM (Crowther Radio) featured a
researcher and a public health activist,
Jackie Ikeotuonye. She articulated the fears
of concerned activists over GMO infiltration
into the Nigerian market. She told listeners
that GMO is dangerous to us as a
developing country because our farmers
would be enslaved to Western companies
like Monsanto who have patented most of
the GM seeds and crops.
She alleged that by accepting to consume
genetically modified foods, the Nigerian
government has opened the gates of the
country to an invasion of cancer-causing
foods. She scared the living daylight out of
listeners.
It was at that point that Ordinary Ahmed,
the anchor, placed a live telephone call to
the Director General of the National
Biotechnology Development Agency, for her
reaction to the allegations.
While describing Ikeotuonye’s allegations as
“half-truths”, the DG agreed to personally
come to the studio for a face-to-face
moderated debate session with the anti-
GMO activist at the programme. And
Ordinary Ahmed promised to personally
moderate the session on Friday (that is,
tomorrow). The programme runs from
7:30am to 8:30am.
What transpired at the Brekete Family
programme last Tuesday underlines the
truth that there needs to be a great deal of
public enlightenment so that Nigerians
would know what exactly GMO is all about,
the dangers and the prospects. Both sides
of the story must be clearly told to the
rural farmers and the general consumers so
that people will take informed decision
about GMOs.

For, the government cannot assume that
because our farmers are in need of
improved seed stocks, GMOs should be
dumped on them. Of course, one cannot eat
poison because one is hungry.
On the other hand, anti-GMO activists
should not assume that a blanket
demonization of GMOs and their Western
promoters is enough to dissuade everybody
from accepting them.
One thing is clear; the proponents of GMOs
in Nigeria must remember that some of the
conspiracy theories surrounding GMOs
emanate from credible sources that they
cannot discredit.
For instance, an international
environmentalist and agriculturist, Dr.
Vandana Shiva, recently raised the alarm
over proposed introduction of GMOs into
Nigeria and other African countries, with the
signing of the Biosafety law, describing it
as suicidal. Shiva is an Indian, and should
know better, coming from a country with a
bitter experience after mainstreaming GM’s
BT Cotton into its agricultural sector.
She warned Nigerians that the introduction
of the crop into our country is another
means the GMO originator, Mosanto, and
other food corporations from the West want
to use to make huge profits out of Africa
and enslave farmers at the expense of their
well-being.
While giving examples of the devastation
GMOs have caused in India, United States
of America and other parts of the world
where they have adopted the method in
food production, she maintained that GMOs
are not the best science and technology for
food production and survival of Africans,
rather the approach is deadly to the soil
and human existence.
According to her, many farmers are now
indebted to Monsanto, because they owe to
get seeds and this has trapped farmers in
dependency and debt, and some farmers,
out of frustration of huge debts, have
committed suicide.
Shiva said: “The pressure on Africa to
adopt uniform seed laws such as those
promoted under African Regional
Intellectual Property Organization is all
aimed at seed colonization of Africa and
must be resisted. The same goes with the
promotion of GMOs through the weak Bio-
safety bills such as the one signed into law
in Nigeria in the last week of the previous
presidency. The unrelenting attack on our
staple foods, including our cassava, cowpea
(beans), corn and banana must be halted.
“The planting of genetically modified cotton
in Burkina Faso was held up as a great
success, yielding bumper harvests and
enriching farmers. But recently, Burkina
Faso stopped planting BT. Cotton. What
example will they bring up next?
“Will Nigeria walk into that trap with her
eyes open? While these costly inputs make
super-profits for giant corporations, they
destroy our soils, and trap our farmers in
dependency and debt. With over 300,000
farmers’ suicides already recorded in India,
the harmful nature of this agricultural
model is without doubt.”

On the other hand, the anti-GMO
proponents cannot take away the
desperation on the part of our harried
farmers, who are year in and year out in
need of improved seed to plant and pest-
resistant strains of crops to breed. These
farmers are already rushing to welcome
GMOs, because to them it is a matter of
survival!
Yet, Brekete Family is known for
investigative journalism, and for its
unabashed bashing of government agencies
and officials. There could be no better
platform for anti-GM proponents to air their
views and fears about the country’s policy
towards GM.
For instance, Ordinary Ahmed already
proclaimed that this particular expose on
GM might “end in the law courts”! He said
some other sensitive national issues Brekete
handled attracted immediate lawsuits from
affected parties. For me, the first big step is
to listen to the Friday programme.


Source: http://punchng.com/brekete-family-gmo-controversy/

dat man no get chill. dats my best channel 4 Strong TV

Genetically modified foods are sometimes very dangerous.

Hemmmmmmbelemmmmbe!
Olololoooooooo....

MisterGrace:
And to think that they did not explain what GMO means is very funny.

Stop saying what you dont know dude.
The term GMO was explained and broken down that the unlettered man on the street will get its meaning during the talk program on radio.

uboma:




Stop saying what you dont know dude.
The term GMO was explained and broken down that the unlettered man on the street will get its meaning during the talk program on radio.

Oh! my fault... I initially scanned through the write up, hence the reason why I didn't see it.

Copy and paste

The effect of GMO far outweigh the benefits, their products are already here with us. The masses should be enlightened about it. Still following the discussion with rapt attention. Nairalanders make una choke mouth for the matter.

Those in support of GMOs say "Aye"

Those against GMO products say "Nay"

xmileeasy:
The effect of GMO far outweigh the benefits, their products are already here with us. The masses should be enlightened about it. Still following the discussion with rapt attention. Nairalanders make una choke mouth for the matter.

Those in support of GMOs say "Aye"

Those against GMO products say "Nay"

Nayyyy

NAY

Government should be proactive about this or else na die o

Just wondering if this topic is not worthy of discuss on nairaland. lalasticlala, please let nairaland microbiologist and scientists enlighten the forum of the benefits and effects of GMO.

If u don't know how wicked mosanto is, read this: www.collective-evolution.com/2014/10/07/monsantos-dirty-dozen-the-12-most-awful-products-made-by-monsanto/.

FarmTech:
If u don't know how wicked mosanto is, read this: www.collective-evolution.com/2014/10/07/monsantos-dirty-dozen-the-12-most-awful-products-made-by-monsanto/.

They only thrive where they are allowed to