By: Mayen Etim

KADUNA, North-West, Nigeria – A group, The Eye Opener: Youth and Women Foundation, (TEO), have joined other public health champions around the world in global campaign aimed at raising awareness about alternative crop production.

The group urged farmers in Nigeria to grow sustainable, nutritious crops instead of tobacco products to make food available for all, saying this would help avoid food crisis in the country.

Speaking during the campaign to mark this year’s World No Tobacco Day in Kaduna on Wednesday, May 31, with the theme: “Grow Food, not Tobacco”,  state Women Coordinator of TEO, Mrs. Gormwa Gotus, after her group fetes orphans, and street beggars’ children educated the people to join in the global campaign.

A parent, Mallam Adamu Lawal, noted that tobacco is a harmful substance which everyone should avoid, saying he prefers food to tobacco because food replenishes the body while tobacco destroys it.

He charged people growing and or selling tobacco to grow nutritious food crops or change their line of business and go for such that benefits mankind.

Another parent, Mallam Mohammed Bala, opined that tobacco endangers life, hence growing tobacco or selling its products is not even debatable since it is against Islam.

According to him, as a Person with Disability, (PwD), what is most needed for him and family is food, and not tobacco, drugs or substance.

Gotus appealed to NGOs and spirited Nigerians to come to the aid of the street beggars, orphans and others in the society.