According to the state government, 17,000 farming households across the 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Abia are expected to benefit, beginning with an initial 1,000 farmers in the pilot phase.

AFAN, however, has accused the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze, of sidelining its members while compiling the list of beneficiaries. 

The association further alleged that the list contained the names of “fake farmers” and demanded clarity on the selection process.

The association also claimed that key stakeholders, including Local Government Mayors and Supervising Counsellors for Agriculture, were not carried along in the enumeration of farmers in the state.

Addressing newsmen in Umuahia, AFAN Chairman, Mrs. Gift Ogbonna, appealed to Governor Alex Otti to urgently intervene.

“We are calling on His Excellency, Governor Alex Otti, to look into this matter and ensure that real farmers are not excluded from a programme that is meant to empower them,” Mrs. Ogbonna stated.

In a swift response, Commissioner Agbaeze dismissed AFAN’s allegations, maintaining that the ministry followed due process in generating the list of beneficiaries.

Source: Vanguard