By Emmanuel Agbo, Abakaliki.
The Chairman of Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Chief Chidiebere Onyemaechi Alo, has commenced the distribution of 4,000 bags of fertiliser to farmers across the council’s 14 political wards.
The fertiliser, provided by the Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, is intended to support farmers, boost agricultural production and strengthen food sufficiency in the state.
Speaking during the distribution exercise, Alo directed ward party chairmen, councillors and other stakeholders to work collectively to ensure that the farm inputs reach genuine farmers without diversion or manipulation.
He said the distribution must be transparent, equitable and closely monitored at the ward level, stressing that no stakeholder should take personal advantage of the intervention.
“Every stakeholder and traditional ruler will be carried along in the local government area. Ward councillors and party chairmen will oversee the distribution, while stakeholders will monitor the process to ensure that the fertiliser gets to the targeted people.
“No stakeholder should collect even one from it,” the chairman warned.
Alo also cautioned against the diversion or sale of the fertiliser, urging beneficiaries to apply the inputs to their farms in order to achieve the objectives of the state government’s agricultural intervention.
He expressed appreciation to Governor Nwifuru for providing the fertiliser, describing the intervention as a demonstration of support for farmers and residents of the local government.
The council chairman assured residents that his administration would continue to ensure that government interventions and support programmes were delivered to intended beneficiaries at the appropriate time.
The Vice Chairman of the council, Hon. Cassandra Nwobashi; Special Assistant to the Governor on Finance and Special Duties, Hon. Amechi Nwali; Leader of the Abakaliki Legislative Council, Hon. Nwojiji Uchenna; Chairman of Abakaliki Traditional Rulers Council, Eze Fidelis Nwonumara; and President-General of town union presidents in the state, Chief Augustine Akpu, among others, commended the initiative.
They also praised Alo for what they described as his emphasis on transparency and fairness in the distribution of the farm inputs.
Earlier, the council chairman presided over a citizens’ engagement meeting on preparations for the 2027 budget, where residents and community representatives were given the opportunity to identify projects and areas requiring government intervention.
Alo said the engagement was designed to enable the council to capture the needs and priorities of the people in the budget process.
He described Governor Nwifuru as a “talk-and-do governor”, saying the administration had demonstrated willingness to respond to identified needs across communities.
The Director of Budget, Planning, Research and Statistics in the council, Mrs Nwankwo Modesta, and the Head of Personnel Management, Mrs Clementina Nwegede, urged participants to clearly articulate projects they wanted government to execute in their respective communities.
They also appealed to community leaders to protect government projects located in their areas against vandalism and ensure that damaged facilities were promptly reported for necessary repairs.
The engagement attracted traditional rulers, community leaders, artisans, youths, women and other stakeholders.
Meanwhile, Alo received members of the God’s Favor Support Group, led by Mrs Ununu Felicia, who paid him a courtesy visit.
The chairman thanked the group for the visit and pledged to carry its members along in the affairs of the council.
He also urged the group to remain supportive of the state government’s programmes and encouraged them to participate actively in the democratic process.
