Ebonyi Governor Orders Commissioners to Go into Rice Farming

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Wednesday, July 6th, 2016

By Ignatius Okpara, Abakaliki

EBONYI, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has made it compulsory for all serving Commissioners in his administration to go into rice farming.

To this end, they have been allocated plots of lands at the Ezillo Government Farm in Ishielu Local council Area of the state, as part of the first phase of the Governor’s policy to involve every segment of the society in massive rice production.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resource, Uchenna Orji, who disclosed this Tuesday in Abakaliki,the State capital, said he led his colleagues and Agric Extension workers as well as other relevant officials to commence the allocation exercise on Saturday.

Orji, in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Emma Anya, hinted that 140 hectares of land were allocated to the EXCO “members for the cultivation of rice under the Multi-Purpose Co-operative Society Ltd in line with IFAD requirement for cooperative system and the CBN”

“The remaining 1,360 hectares were set aside for other cooperative societies and individuals that have already keyed into the policy through the IFAD and CBN -anchor borrowers programme.

Commissioner Orji, who described the State agric programme the Umahi administration as all inclusive, stated tractors would be mobilized to the site immediately in line with the governor’s vision of massive rice production for commercial quantity.

“It is in line with Governor’s vision that we should not only go into mechanization of farming; we should go commercial, we are going to express that this 2016 farming season.”

In his remarks, State Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Senator Emmanuel Onwe, said it was EXCO’s decision that any individual of mature age, whether government appointee or civil servant, must cultivate at least one or two hectares of land to boost agriculture in the state.