Food Security: Bede Ekeh lifts Aboh Mbaise/ Ngor Okpala farmers

From Athan Agbakwuru, Owerri

Member representing Aboh Mbaise / Ngor-Okpala Federal Constituency, in the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Bede Ekeh has distributed agricultural materials worth millions of Naira to farmers in his constituency.

Items distributed to beneficiaries include;  over 1000 bags of fertilizer, improved cassava stems, carrot, potato stems, cartons of cucumber, water melon, pepper, maize and pumpkin seedlings  as well as pesticides and herbicides.

The items were handed over to a large crowd of  beneficiaries selected from the 23 electoral wards of the federal constituency, at the flagoff of the distribution of Agricultural materials  at Umaga Nguru in Ngor Okpala LGA, Imo State last weekend.

Speaking at the occasion, Hon. Bede Ekeh urged every beneficiary to ensure that the items were put into proper use in order to produce more food for their families and the contituency in the coming years.

Harping on the need for the constituency to be self reliant in food production, Hon. Ekeh encouraged them and the generality of federal constituency to take to farming and other agricultural activities in order to eliminate the over dependence of the area on food items from other parts of the country.

He recalled that Ngor Okpala  was hitherto reckoned as the food basket of Imo State but regretted that youths’ obsession for white- collar jobs and unwholesome business practices have negatively affected agriculture in the constituency at large.

The lawmaker challenged the beneficiaries to go and multiply the  seedlings given to them and urged evryone especially the working class and business class to embrace farming as a second vocation more especially now  “that we are being threatened with food blockade by farmers from the northern part of the country.”

He reiterated his resolve to restore the lost glory of Aboh Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala federal constituency, as the food basket of Imo State through his Agricultural Empowerment Programmes.

He thanked the leadership of the party and party faithful for their support and encouragement assuring them of resolve to continue to put the interest of the constituency first in all situations.

Speaking earlier, a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP,  Prof. Jude Njoku, former Vice Chancellor of Federal University Of Technology, Owerri, admonished beneficiaries to take advantage of the agricultural products to improve their living standard.

The Professor of Agric-Economics and two time commissioner in Imo State charged the party men and farmers who benefited to plant the cassava stems and other crop seedlings without wasting time before the rains ceade.

According to him, the farming seedlings distributed are rich and will yield bountifully while harvesting them.

He further thanked the Federal Lawmaker for always making the party, the PDP proud through his empowerment programmes and vocal inputs on topical issues on the floor of the house

Other speakers, Deputy National Financial Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Henry Ekpe;  Chairman of PDP in Ngor Okpala LGA, Chief Morrison Njoku,  appealed to the beneficiaries to ensure they cultivate the seedlings distributed. They advised those who are yet to benefit to remain calm as more is to come.

In his response on behalf of the beneficiaries, the representative of Ngor Okpala farmers at the occasion, Mr William Eke, a popular Cucumber farmer appreciated Hon Bede Eke for his gesture.

He assured that the farmers who benefitted from the distribution of the Agricultural items will multiply what they got while praying for the success of the federal lawmaker in his legislative activities.

Dignitaries present at the event were Chief Emma Nwaorgu, Apex Leader of PDP in Ngor-Okpala, Ikemba Cornelius Okere, Assistant State Auditor of Imo PDP, Hon Kizzito Onuoha, Assistant State  Secretary of Imo PDP, Chief John Eke, former Ngor-Okpala PDP Chairman, Hon Beatrice Nkwoh, former SA to the Governor on Women Mobilization, Hon Kelechi Offor, Hon Jeff Nwachukwu, Nze Hyacinth Nkwocha, Prince McDonald Enwere, Sir Sunny Ndukwu, former IMC members, LGA Officers and many others too numerous to mention.