By Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki.
The Executive Chairman of Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Barrister Sunday Nwankwo has distributed farm inputs to over 500 farmers in the area.
The farm inputs including bags of fertilizer, rice seedlings, corn, cassava stems and herbicides were distributed to the farmers by the council boss as he flagged off the 2024 farming season for the Ikwo people.
Addressing the mammoth crowd, Nwankwo said the distribution of the farm inputs by his administration was to step down Governor Francis Nwifuru's People's Charter of Needs mantra to the grassroots.
He maintained that the distribution of the farm inputs would encourage Ikwo people to take centre stage in food production and security in the state.
"We want to encourage Ikwo people to be active players in farming. We are aware of the rising prices of commodities in the market and that's why we want everybody to go back to farming because this will guarantee food production and security in our land," he said.
The Council Chairman also distributed palm seedlings for plantation in different primary and secondary schools in the local government area.
According to him, 100 palm seedlings would be distributed to every primary and secondary school in the area to promote his administration's green initiative programme in the council area.
He said the green plants would boost the beauty of the school environment, and be of great benefit in addressing the climate change and economic challenges, both now and in the future in the area.
"Green plants used to keep our school environment in a very serene manner, but this seems to be depreciating. We are going to revive it because we are giving every school 100 palm seedlings for plantation.
"The distribution of the 100 palm seedlings to every school in Ikwo is to ensure our schools, both primary and secondary schools have oil plantations and it's part of our green initiative programme to tackle climate change problem in the area," the Council boss added.
Recall that the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nkechinyere Iyoku, represented by Mr Fidelis Nwankwo flagged off the distribution of the farm inputs at Onuebonyi Echara, the Ikwo Local Government Headquarters.
But the State Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Schools, Professor Paul Nwobasi flagged off the Green Initiative programme at Urban Secondary School, Ndufu Echara in Ikwo Council Area.
The two commissioners commended the programmes, so far embarked on by the local government chairman, and however urged the council people especially the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity for the benefit of humanity.
