Alex Otti, governor of Abia State, has flagged off the disbursement of over N900 million interest-free agric empowerment loan to 298 Abia farmers trained at CSS farm in Nasarawa State.
While speaking during the occasion at Government House, Umuahia, the governor said that it was the determination of his administration to create a new pathway of wealth for its citizens by providing them with the needed support to make use of the most of the available resources in the state.
The governor, who was represented by Caleb Ajagba, his Chief of Staff, disclosed that the state government was committed to making agriculture a fulcrum of economic development and job creation policies.
“Additionally, it sets a foundation for a new model of empowerment designed to effectively make our people financially independent in the long run, working for themselves and adding real value to our gross domestic output,” Otti said.
He used the forum to announce a new set of programmes aimed at cushioning the effect of hardship in the country in the next few weeks. According to him, the Labour Party government was determined to do things differently, adding that in the last 16 months he had focused on common people on how to uplift their economic and social conditions.
The Abia governor said that the government expects much from the beneficiaries, adding that more money would be available to those who would be committed to the project.
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He charged them to make judicious use of the funds.
Cliff Agbaeze, Commissioner for Agriculture, earlier in his speech, said that the trained farmers would train three others each, while the state would also train more to continue its multiplier effect.
He disclosed that the government intended to mainstream modern agricultural practices into the educational curriculum beginning from the basics.
The commissioner informed that his ministry has a monitoring schedule for the progress of the beneficiaries.
Chioma Onyekachi, responding on behalf of other beneficiaries, appreciated Governor Otti for sending them to be trained at the CSS Farm and assured that they would utilise the loan and contribute to the food security in the state.
