The Abia State Government has said it will not recognize any faction of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) until the group resolves its leadership crisis and restores proper structure.
Governor Alex Otti made this known on Thursday during a meeting with AFAN members, the Commissioner for Agriculture, and other stakeholders in Umuahia.
Otti represented by his Chief of staff, Pastor Caleb Ajagba expressed concern that the division at AFAN’s national level has also permeated Abia State, stressing that such disunity is unacceptable. He added that the government is committed to addressing the issue to ensure accountability and transparency within the association.
He revealed that an audit of AFAN’s activities in the state would be conducted following allegations of misappropriation and poor accountability. “Once the state of affairs of the association are very clear to us, those interested will then present themselves for election,” Ajagba said.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze, emphasized that the government’s priority is the welfare of farmers, not AFAN leadership tussles. He assured that the Otti administration is willing to work with whoever emerges as a duly elected leader.
“We have no interest in any group. Whoever you produce as your leader will be your leader. But every intervention we plan will be targeted at farmers themselves,” Agbaeze stated.
Also speaking, Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Prince Chris Enweremadu, urged AFAN members to unite and support the administration’s agricultural programs. He warned that internal divisions are hindering farmers from fully benefiting from government interventions.
“We have noticed that the association as is existing presently in Abia state is not being properly run, that’s why you have all kinds of factions and because it is not being properly run, the division and divisiveness that is prevalent at the centre has also infiltrated the states, notably Abia State.
“And as a responsible government, we have to take actions that will be able to address that kind of division, which is unacceptable by all standards. So we have to ensure that proper structure is maintained and restored.
“We have also discovered that accountability has been a major problem in the running of this association.
“As a step forward, the activities, the state of affairs of the association will be audited to make sure that things are being done the right way because we have seen and heard of allegations of misappropriation and lack of accountability.
“Government is not recognizing any faction. Once the state of affairs of the association are now very clear to us, then those who are interested will present themselves for election,” Gov. Otti stated.
In their various contributions at the meeting, the key factional leaders of AFAN in Abia state including, Mrs Gift Ogbonna, Mr. Ndudirm Ikelua and Lady Precious Uwaoma narrated how each of them emerged as State Chairman respectively at different places.
While accusing one another as the architect of the crises in the association, they equally affirmed loyalty to different factions at the national level.
Also in their various reactions and interviews granted to the press, some of the members of AFAN, who were at the meeting including Chief Herbert Ogbonna, Mr. Dike Onyemaeze, Mr. David Umeh and.. among others attributed the crises in the Abia state chapter of AFAN to selfishness of various members who insist to be at the helm of affairs in the association.
They however requested the intervention of the state government to solve the problem and thanked Governor Alex Otti for convening the meeting while assuring to abide by the decision of the state government.
Some top government officials including the Commissioner for Agriculture Dr. Cliff Agbaeze, Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Prince Chris Enweremadu, Special Adviser to the Governor on Policies and Interventions, Rev’d Father Christian Anokwuru and the General Manager Abia State Debt Management Office, Dr. Kingsley Nwaigburu.
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