The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security clarified on Saturday that the internal circular from its Human Resource Management Department regarding prayer sessions was intended to address the recent untimely and successive deaths of management staff in the Ministry.
This explanation was contained in a statement signed by the Assistant Director of the Information Department, Ezeaja Ikemefuna, on behalf of the Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, dated June 14, 2025.
The statement further noted that staff members also considered it appropriate to include prayers for the nation during these sessions.
The statement read in part, “The Ministry’s attention is drawn to the internal circular of the Human Resource Management Department being circulated by online media, in this regard the ministry wishes to inform that the prayer session is an initiative of Human Resource Department to address the wellbeing of the staff just as the already existing monthly aerobic exercise and establishment of the gymnasium in the ministry are for physical fitness as the regular medical check-up of staff are for their health. The prayer was to address the apprehensiveness of staff over the recent untimely and successive death of management staff of the Ministry. The staff also deemed it not out of place to pray for the country, hence the theme of the prayer sessions ‘Divine Intervention for Protection and National Development’. It must be emphasized that this is NOT an official policy by the Ministry to address agriculture and food security issues in the country. But in response to the yearnings of staff who are apprehensive following the death of some of their colleagues in recent times.”
Meanwhile, the statement affirmed that the both the Minister and the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security have been working diligently to enhance food security under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda over the past two years, with notable achievements recorded. It urged the public to disregard online reports aimed at tarnishing the Ministry’s reputation.
The statement concluded by saying, “The Ministry wishes to emphasize that the prayer session is an internal initiative of staff to address the concern over sudden deaths in the Ministry and not intended to replace or downplay the remarkable effort and achievement of the Ministry and other stakeholders in achieving food security in the Nation.”
