Anambra Govt Set To Distribute Over One Million Seedlings – Outlines Framework For Distribution
By Chuks Ugokwe
Anambra State Government has set up committees to ensure effective distribution of not less than one million combination of seedlings to potential beneficiaries across the state.
This was the outcome of a One-day consultative meeting staged by the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters with key stakeholders held at the Ministry’s Conference Hall in Awka.
It was gathered that the meeting centred on modalities for year 2024 distribution of economic trees/ seedlings which comprised of 700,000 Oil palm seedlings,200,000 breadfruit seedlings, 50,000 Oji Igbo (Kola nut) 50,000 Akiilu (Bitter Kola) and 40,000 Paw paw.
The meeting brought together group of stakeholders including representatives from Presidents General, Heads of Agriculture Departments, Agric Extension Workers, APGA Party Chairmen, Solution Data Collectors, as well as Women and Youth Leaders.
Speaking during the event, the State Commissioner For Agriculture, Dr Forster Ihejiofor, pointed out that the gathering served as an opportunity to brief stakeholders on mapped out plans ahead of the distribution exercise.
He further informed that government targets between 130,000 to 280,000 beneficiaries from the exercise slated to commence on Thursday, 25th June, adding that Governor Chukwuma Soludo was committed towards using the agro agenda to lift people out of poverty.
The Commissioner also hinted that government had procured the seedlings for distribution through already created five regional collection centres at Otuocha-Zone A, Awka–Zone B, Ajalli-Zone C, Ogidi–Zone D as well as Ozubulu–Zone E.
While urging all Stakeholders to be drivers of the project by playing supervisory role in line with the solution transformative agricultural journey, Commissioner Ihejiofor explained that the seedlings must be planted and nurtured with organic enhancers.
Contributing, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Matters, Dr Alex Obiogbolu, further explained that committees comprising key stakeholders had been set up to oversee the exercise at Distribution Centres, Ward and Village levels.
He added that the committee members including Transition Committee Chairmen, Local Government Party Chairmen, Agric Extension Workers, Ward Party Chairmen, Youth and Women Leaders are to ensure effective distribution.
Dr Obiogbolu noted that each beneficiary would receive a minimum of five, and maximum of eight, seedlings irrespective of combination, pointing out that those already profiled would be considered before others.
He made it clear that the economic trees were procured for Ndi Anambra irrespective of party affiliations, but quickly added that APGA, as a party, was merely driving the process for accountability sake.
In a remark, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Ifeyinwa Uzoka, called for concerted effort to ensure successful implementation of the exercise.
She, therefore, urged agricultural extension workers to offer the needed technical support services to the beneficiaries to guarantee survival of the economic trees.
Some of the participants including Hon Cyril Nwobu, APGA Party Chairman, Orumba North and Hon Alloy Nwafor, lauded the state government for the agricultural intervention programme and assured of their contribution to facilitate successful implementation of the exercise.
Other participants contributed and expressed their concerns which the Commissioner and the Special Adviser addressed accordingly.
Chuks Ugokwe, PRO, Ministry of Agriculture
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