Priscilla Akpanettot, COOPA
No fewer than a Hundred and Nineteen Thousand (119,000) Akwa Ibomites are going to benefit from Phase 3 of the AK-CARES project, the Commissioner for Economic Development, Mr. Emem Bob has said.
Speaking while briefing newsmen at the NUJ Press Centre on Friday, July 19, 2024, the Commissioner noted that the third phase of AK-CARES, as approved by the Governor would soon commence as an intervention to reach the needy.
Meanwhile, in a bid to curtail the hunger caused by food insufficiency, unavailability, and inflation, Governor Umo Eno has decided to augment the federal government's palliative donation by adding 24,000 bags to their 24,000 bags of 25kg rice.
The initiative according to the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Offiong Offor is aimed at reaching more families with the needed support to survive the times.
"Through this food intervention, each of the 2,272 gazetted villages in the state will receive 20 bags of rice. This is in addition to the over 100,000 families from the social register who have already received, or will soon receive, free food items from the state government through the Bulk Purchase Agency", she said.
She explained that the long-term solution to the hunger crisis is the Back-to-Farm initiative, promoting local food production, and designating the first and third Fridays of the month as work-free farming days.
While commending civil and public servants for effectively utilizing the work-free days given to them for farm work, Dr. Offor informed that those taking the farming activities seriously would be appreciated by the Governor as a motivation to do more.
The Commissioner therefore encouraged every Akwa Ibomite to indulge in agriculture, stressing that the Ministry of Agriculture was ready to give them the needed support for productivity.
"The Ministry of Agriculture has implemented several strategic interventions, including distributing cassava cuttings, maize grains, pepper seedlings, and coconut seedlings to 135 public primary and secondary schools".
"Additionally, we have distributed 150,000 cocoa seedlings to cocoa farmers, 40,000 oil palm seedlings to oil palm farmers, 80,000 pepper seedlings to vegetable farmers, 20 metric tonnes of rice shared to rice farmers' across the state, and livestock and poultry supplies to poultry farmers".
"Furthermore, we have provided livelihood grants of N150,000 to 1,560 beneficiaries and agricultural inputs and services to 900 farmers under the AKCARES Scheme", she enumerated.
On the destruction of farmlands by herders/cattle, the Commissioner informed that an enforcement team has been set up to look into such issues for disciplinary action against defaulters.
She therefore requested that enquires on the enforcement team and other information relevant to farming and agriculture be channeled to Room 99 of the Ministry at the State Government Secretariat.
The distribution of the Federal and State Governments' food intervention will occur at Local Government Council Headquarters, from where Council Chairmen will ensure the safe transportation of 20 bags to each gazetted village for onward Distribution dates will be announced soon.
At the briefing were the Commissioner for Information, Comrade Ini Ememobong; Chairman, Bulk Purchase Agency, Rt. Hon. Dan Akpan; Media Consultant to the Governor, Hon. Aniekan Umanah; Chairman Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Akwa Ibom State Council Comrade, Amos Etuk; members of the press and Conference of Online Publishers in Akwa Ibom State (COOPA).
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