Aniefiok Christopher
As a result of the commencement of the second planting season in Akwa Ibom State, the Transforming Lives Through Nutrition project of Helen Keller International (HKI), has donated high-yielding seedlings to farmers in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area.
Presenting Okro, Vitamin A fortified Maize, and groundnut to the project participants in the area, the Programme Manager, Ms Gift Alfred stated that the free distribution exercise which is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in collaboration with HKI, Vitamin Angels and iDE, was part of the organisation’s global initiative to fight malnutrition and enhance food security in Africa and beyond.
Alfred tasked the participants who were prior to the presentation of the farming inputs, trained on how to cultivate the high yielding seedlings, to ensure proper cultivation of the crops during the second planting season with the view to enhance their families economic growth and general wellbeing of the affected community members.
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Flagging off the seed distribution programme, the Chairman of Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, Mr Aniefiok Nkom commended Helen Keller International and the sponsors for the numerous intervention programmes, which, he said, are in line with the policy drive of the local government area.
As a local government area, Nkom said the council had a year earlier cultivated cassava on a six hectares land belonging to the local government council, with a view to enhancing food security in the area.
The council boss announced plans to allocate part of the six hectares of land to assist project participants who have difficulties in acquiring land for the project in the area.
This, he said, is a demonstration of the council’s commitment towards the success of the project in Ikot Ekpene.
Representatives from the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Ernest Awakessien and Mrs Imaobong Jerry, in their separate remarks, commended Helen Keller International and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the agricultural intervention project, which has been closely monitored by the relevant MDAs to ensure its success.
Speaking earlier, the Programme Manager, Akwa Ibom Agricultural Development Programme (AKADEP), Mr Emah Ekanem, had commended HKI and their sponsors for the agricultural intervention project of which he noted was in line with the ARISE Agenda initiative of Governor Umo Eno in the area of agriculture.
He charged the beneficiaries to see the initiative as an opportunity to grow their farms and possibly make huge returns in the next harvesting season, while calling on them to share the seedlings with their neighbours, if their farms are not large enough for one kilogram pack containing hundreds of seeds.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, a model Mom from Utu Ikpe thanked Helen Keller International for considering them worthy beneficiaries of the numerous intervention programmes so far initiated in the area, as she beseeched God to reward the sponsors accordingly.
Among other dignitaries at the flag-off exercise were the Paramount Ruler of Ikot Ekpene, Okuku Okon Udo Ukut, the Vice Chairman of the area, Obonganwan Abigail Akpan, the Director of Agric Mrs Edima Johnson, among others.
