The lawmaker representing Irepodun/Ifelodun Constituency 2 in the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Hakeem Jamiu, has commenced the distribution of seedlings and agrochemicals to farmers in his constituency.
Honourable Jamiu, who is representing his constituency in the seventh Ekiti Assembly, noted that the gesture was to boost food security and reduce hunger in the state.
According to Jamiu, who happened to be the former deputy speaker of the state Assembly, the donation kicked off in his Igbemo Ekiti country home under his “Back to Farm Intervention and Constitution Engagement”.
The agricultural inputs distribution, he said, was to contribute his own quota to tackle the prevailing food crisis in the country, particularly in Ekiti State.
The lawmaker added that 153 local farmers in his constituency benefitted in the ‘Back to Farm Initiative’ from which was an opportunity to bring into practice the Ekiti State Food Security Law which he sponsored as a bill in the 6th Assembly when he served as the Deputy Speaker.
The gesture to the benefiting farmers, he elaborated, was also a way to create employment, generate wealth and encourage more people into farming ahead of the planting season.
Twelve bags of rice seedlings, 35 bags of maize seedlings, 35 cartons of sprayers, agro-chemicals, 35 packs of cassava seedlings, 24D 36 packs of Aminocom for rice, maize and others were distributed to the farmers during the event.
His words: “It’s a constituency engagement and I want to encourage people to go back to farming because in the 6th Assembly, I sponsored a bill which is now a law titled: ‘Ekiti State Food Security Law’ where I proposed that everybody should go back to farm and own a farm so that we should be able to feed ourselves.
“The government is encouraging everybody to go to the farm. There is a food crisis, that’s why we have palliative measures. It is a way of encouraging farmers and implementing the law which I sponsored.”
Speaking at the flag-off event was the lawmaker, representing Irepodun/Ifelodun Constituency 1, Hon. Femi Akindele who described the intervention as part of the Shared Prosperity Agenda of the state government in ensuring food sufficiency for people of the state.
“It’s an intervention which has come at the right time. We cannot have any time better than now. We are just entering into the planting season. This will help the farmers get the needed and output of their farm produce by giving them quality seedlings,” he said.
The Chairman of Ifedara Local Council Development Area, Hon. Lawrence Ogunsanya, commended the lawmaker for the kind gesture, adding that the intervention would go a long way to encourage the farmers for greater harvest.
