Farmers in Abia State have appealed to Governor Alex Otti to intervene in the ongoing enumeration of grassroots farmers, alleging that the exercise was manipulated by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze.
The State Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Lady Gift Ogbonna, made this known while addressing journalists in Umuahia. She explained that the crisis began on August 21 at the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) building, where many farmers were excluded from an empowerment programme despite earlier assurances.
Ogbonna, flanked by AFAN youth representative Dr. Chibuzo Obiesili and women’s representative Praise Christiana, said farmers were denied entry into the programme and told that they were not on the invitation list. According to her, the Commissioner for Agriculture presented a separate list of beneficiaries, sidelining the recognised AFAN members.
She noted that AFAN is the umbrella body for all farmer cooperatives and commodity associations in the state, with grassroots structures in all 184 wards. She stressed that the group is committed to helping government capture accurate farmer data to ensure fair policies and empowerment initiatives.
Ogbonna further alleged that despite several attempts, including letters and requests for dialogue, the AFAN state executive has been unable to secure a meeting with the commissioner. She urged the governor to ensure that no individual undermines his administration’s efforts to support farmers, especially as 17,000 smallholder farmers were expected to benefit from the AUDA-NEPAD-assisted empowerment scheme flagged off earlier in the month.
Responding to the allegations, Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Agbaeze, said he inherited three AFAN factions upon assumption of office. He explained that his ministry engaged “genuine farmers” identified through mayors, councillors, and community leaders to build a reliable database.
Agbaeze maintained that all factions were carried along in the empowerment exercise, which is still ongoing, adding that about 80 percent of authentic farmers had already benefited. He also revealed that Lady Ogbonna personally congratulated him at the flag-off of the programme.
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