GPA urges FG to ban GMO foods, gene drive products, others

By Job Osazuwa

The Global Prolife Alliance (GPA) has requested the Federal Government to ban all genetically modified (GM) foods, new gene drive products and GM mosquitoes.

In a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari from the chairman for the council on world peace, Dr. Phillip Njemanze, GPA alleged that some international biotechnology companies were funding Boko Haram, bandits and herdsmen to take over Nigerian’s food security using GMO seeds shared to farmers at IDP camps after they have killed all native natural seed growers.

The group said: “GMO foods are toxic and cause cancer, growth retardation and environmental degradation.

“GMO foods will destroy Nigeria’s agriculture. Europe, Russia, China and USA have banned import of all GM foods, even if they have 1% contamination. This means that Nigeria’s agriculture cannot earn foreign currency. However, European, American and Indian companies export toxic GM foods to Nigeria.

“Glyphosate herbicide used in conjunction with GM crops is toxic to humans, according to WHO and others. Sterilization gene has been inserted into GM corn, beans, rice and cassava.

“GM ‘yellow’ cassava does not contain any protein, vitamins or nutrients.

“The United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) says that GMO ‘Golden Rice’ does not contain Vitamin A. United States Department of Ariculture (USDA) has shown that pesticide use has increased with use of GMO crops, not decreased, as they say.

“On gene drive: The European Parliament, in its report on the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, adopted at the European Parliament’s plenary on June 8, 2021, demand that ‘no releases of genetically-engineered gene drive organisms should be allowed, including for nature conservation purposes, in line with the precautionary principle.’ The National Assembly (NASS) should adopt a similar position.

“Ban GM mosquitoes release in Nigeria because they will not only sterilize mosquitoes but also most Nigerians they bite. It is estimated that 75 per cent of Nigerians could be made sterile with GM mosquitoes. The sterilizing HEG gene is passed on biting through saliva.”

The group attached several documents to support it’s position.