By Straightnews
The Federal and Akwa Ibom Governments have flooded 2,272 villages in the state with 48,000 bags of rice aimed at cushioning the current food crisis and hardships facing the people.
This is as the Akwa Ibom government says it has received 24,000 bags of 25kg rice donated to the state by the Federal Government.
Addressing a press briefing in Uyo on Friday, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. (Mrs.) Offiong Offor said Governor Umo Eno is appreciative to the Federal Government for being “caring and responsive” at this very critical time, which is indicative that the apex government is in tune with the current struggles facing our citizens.
Offor said the state government has doubled the donation of the federal government by adding another 24,000 bags of 20kg rice to increase the quantity to 48,000 bags of rice to ensure that more families benefit from the intervention.
‘‘Through this food intervention, each of the 2,272 gazetted villages in Akwa Ibom State will receive 20 bags of rice donated by Federal and State Governments.
Also read
- Palliatives: 36 Nigerian States, FCT Get N185 billion
- Palliatives: Akwa Ibom collects FG’S 3000 bags of rice
- CHRAN Faults N70b Palliatives to National Assembly Members
‘‘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.
‘‘This food intervention by the government is aimed at cushioning the effect of the hardship currently faced by our citizens, and to reduce extreme hunger and poverty as stipulated by Sustainable Development Goal 1,’’ the Commissioner stated.
According to her, we are currently facing a significant developmental challenge: hunger caused by food insufficiency, unavailability, and inflation. This issue, a direct result of macro-economic factors, poses a challenge to both federal and state governments.
‘‘However, the long-term and sustainable solution remains the Back to Farm Initiative of the State Government to boost local food production, which is the reason for the declaration of the first and third Fridays of the month as work-free farming days by the Governor.
”Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture has undertaken several strategic interventions the distribution of cassava cuttings, maize grains, pepper seedlings, and coconut seedlings to 135 public primary and secondary schools, shared 150,000 cocoa seedlings to cocoa farmers, distributed 40,000 oil palm seedlings to oil palm farmers, 80,000 pepper seedlings to vegetable farmers, 4 piglets, 3 weaners (goats) to 1,200 livestock farmers, 50-day-old chics with 6 bags of feed distributed to 700 poultry farmers, bags of feeds distributed to 200 aquaculture farmers etc.
”These are in addition to the provision of livelihood grants of N150,000 to 1,560 beneficiaries, provision of agricultural inputs(day-old chicks, juveniles, feed, etc), and services to 900 farmers undertaken under the AKCARES Scheme.
”Distribution of the Federal and State Governments Food Intervention will be done at Local Government Council Headquarters from where respective Council Chairmen will ensure that 20 bags each are safely transported to all the gazetted villages,’’ Offor added.
Dates for the distribution will be announced soon.
