Through the Fadama platform under the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme, Enugu state government has distributed 10 power tillers to Okpanku and Ezinesi Oduma communities affected by flood disaster.
The distribution ceremony which 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.
Governor Peter Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Hon Patrick Ubru, noted that “flood is a natural disaster, that as a responsible government, the governor heard about the plights of the victims and gave approval for the emergency response.”
According to Ubru, not only power tillers, but other Agri Inputs and food assistance will be distributed to them.
The preliminary investigations, he explained, indicate 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,” he said.
The Commissioner added that the state government was 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.
He then emphasized the state government’s commitment to supporting farmers and enhancing food security, and described the governor as the Chief farmer of Enugu state who is so passionate about agriculture and has the interest of farmers at heart.
“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,” he said.
Also speaking at the flag-off ceremony, 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.
“Each power tiller will benefit 40 farmers, bringing the total number of the beneficiaries to 400 farmers across Okpanku and Ezinesi Oduma communities,” Eze said.
In his own remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Victor Ngwu, expressed his thoughts on the intervention, saying that such is a demonstration of the state’s government commitment to supporting farmers and promoting agricultural development.
Ngwu 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 will enable them key into the vision of state government to ensure productivity and food security.
The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the Enugu state government for the timely intervention.
“This support will greatly ease our farming activities and alleviate our suffering,” the Chairman of Ngeneanwanta Ezinesi Oduma 1, Farmers Community Association, Hon Godfrey Kamah, who is also the President General, Ezinesi Oduma, said.