The Executive Chairman of Izzi Local Government Area, Barrister Stephen Emenike Nwankpa, has issued a tough warning to farmers and stakeholders over the resale or diversion of agricultural inputs distributed under the Ebonyi State Government's free farm support programme.
“If I find even one bag sold to traders, I will unlock the store and share everything to the needy,” Nwankpa declared on Monday at the official flag-off of the distribution held at Iboko, the council headquarters.
The free distribution, part of Governor Francis Nwifuru’s agricultural intervention initiative, saw farmers in Izzi LGA receive: 450 bags of inorganic fertilizer, 60 bags of organic fertilizer, 300 bags of 25kg certified Faro 44 rice seedlings and 200 cartons of herbicides (12 bottles per carton) in Izzi council area.
Nwankpa stressed that the inputs were meant strictly for genuine farmers and not for profiteers or political actors.
“We know the real farmers in our villages. This is not the time to collect and sell. You must plant now. The fertilizers must be used now — not next season,” he said.
He added that local stakeholders generated allocation spreadsheets to ensure transparency, and that security personnel had been deployed to curb diversion and sabotage.
“Even if we receive 30 trucks of fertilizer, our farmers will use them all. There’ll be no hoarding or black-market sales. We are ready and committed to full utilization,” he added.
Meanwhile, during the flag off at Ugbodo, Prince Chinedu Uburu, Chairman of Ebonyi Local Government Area, hailed the initiative as a turning point in Governor Nwifuru’s strategy to position Ebonyi as a commercial-scale agricultural hub in Nigeria.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Princess Nkechinyere Iyioku, who represented the governor at the event, praised farmers for their resilience and urged even civil servants to adopt farming as a “second address.”
“This is the first time these inputs are given completely free. The governor wants every local government to have its own farm. We’re building an agricultural economy that doesn’t rely on handouts,” she noted.
She called for the establishment of functional farms in all 13 LGAs and 64 development centers across the state to promote sustainable food security.
Also speaking, Chief Stephen Uchenna Igwe, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, described Governor Nwifuru as “a true farmer”, assuring citizens of a productive farming season.
The event also featured technical training sessions by agricultural experts including Patrick Ogbinya, Ikechukwu Nwovu, and Francisca Anya, who educated attendees on cassava cultivation, Faro 44 rice farming, and value-added processing for nutrition.
In a closing address, HRH Eze John Nwenyi, a respected traditional ruler in Izzi land, commended the initiative and reaffirmed the area’s strong agricultural heritage.
“We don’t sell land in Izzi. We lease it for meaningful farming. That’s how we’ve always lived,” he said, calling for an annual agricultural fair to showcase local progress.
