BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
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Enugu State Government through the Fadama platform under the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme, has distributed 10 Power Tillers to Okpanku and Ezinesi Oduma communities affected by flood disaster.
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The distribution ceremony which recently took place at Enugu State Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation was attended by the Ministry Officials, Executives of Farmers Community Associations (FCA) and Fadama team.
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Governor Peter Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Hon Patrick Ubru, noted that flood is a natural disaster.
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Ubru stated that as a responsible government, the governor heard about the plights of the victims and gave approval for the emergency response.
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He furter stated that apart from power tillers, other Agro Inputs and food assistance would be distributed to the victims.
According to him, “preliminary investigations indicated that the flood disaster that ravaged Okpanku and Ezinesi Oduma communities in Enugu State was caused by different factors. In Okpanku, the flood was primarily triggered by the overflow of the river bank, which couldn’t contain the heavy rainfall. On the other hand, the flood in Ezinesi Oduma was largely attributed to the inadequate design and construction of low bridges, which are easily overwhelmed by water during heavy downpours.
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The State Commissioner disclosed that the state government is taking proactive steps to prevent future flooding occurrences in the affected communities as part of its commitment to protecting the lives and livelihoods of Enugu State residents.
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He emphasized the state government’s commitment to supporting farmers and enhancing food security, describing the governor as the “Chief farmer of Enugu State who is so passionate about agriculture and has the interest of farmers at heart.”
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“This intervention is part of our efforts to mitigate the impact of the flood disaster on our farmers. We recognise the critical role agriculture plays in our state’s economy, and we will continue to provide support to our farmers to ensure food security and economic growth.
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Speaking to the newsmen, the State Project Coordinator of Fadama, Mr Geoffrey Eze explained that the power tillers would improve agricultural productivity, reduce the drudgery associated with manual farming and alleviate the suffering of the affected farmers.
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“Each power tiller will benefits 40 farmers, bringing the total number of the beneficiaries to 400 farmers across Okpanku and Ezinesi Oduma communities,” Eze said.
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Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Victor Ngwu said that such intervention was a demonstration of the state’s government commitment to supporting farmers and promoting agricultural development.
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He enjoined the beneficiaries to put the power tillers to good use as the ultimate goal is to recover from the devastating effects of the flood which would enable them key into the vision of state government to ensure productivity and food security.
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The beneficiaries thanked the state government led by Governor Mbah for the good gesture.
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The Chairman of Ngeneanwanta Ezinesi Oduma 1, Farmers Community Association, Hon Godfrey Kamah, who is also the President General, Ezinesi Oduma also commended Governor Mbah for the support he gave them, adding, “This support will greatly ease our farming activities and alleviate our suffering”.
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