Ebonyi as Nigeria’s road to food sufficiency

On the departing eve of America’s former President Bill Clinton’s historic and official visit to Nigeria in 1999, he admonished then President Obasanjo, who had just assumed office as Nigeria’s president to “go and do the intelligent thing in agriculture and other areas.”

That admonition later formed an administrative persuasion in the Obasanjo’s government toward attainment of food sufficiency.

However, 21 years after and interestingly so,  that princely advise has resonated in Ebonyi State as governor Dave Nweze Umahi’s rising concern about hunger and food-related forms of deprivation across  Nigeria has given birth to numerous agricultural initiatives.

The developmental strides of governor Umahi cut across sectors, a development that has made the Secretary to Ebonyi State Government and coordinating Commissioner, Dr Kenneth Ugbala Igwe to  appreciate God Almighty for the gift of Engineer Umahi as a Executive Governor of Ebonyi State especially at a time like this when the country is passing through recession.

In an interactive session with  newsmen during a presentation of Ebonyi State Government COVID-19 Response Revised 2020 Citizens’ Budget Input- Consultative Meeting held at Ecumenical Center, Abakaliki by the governor, Igwe stated that he has never seen a dedicated, restless, transparent and God fearing leader like Gov David Nweze Umahi, saying that since the inception of Umahi  as the third Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, the ugly stories about the state have drastically changed.

According to the SSG, “Today Ebonyi State is on the top list of the fastest developing State in the country,” enumerating  numerous projects executed and completed by the current administration within five years of leadership ingenuity which include eight solid flyovers, construction and reconstruction of both urban and rural roads with concrete pavement, construction of world class international market, Standard shopping Mall, construction of international Ecumenical Center, the ongoing construction of international airport, beautification of Abakaliki city and so many others.

Dr Ugbala stated that in the area of agriculture, empowerment and employment, Umahi has distinctions, maintaining that only in Ebonyi State that every youth is independent through  conducive atmosphere provided by the God sent leader in the person of Dr David Nweze Umahi.

Similarly and in a brief chat with OpenLife, the governor’s Technical Assistant on Information, Mr. Collins Eze, explained how Umahi’s conscious concern about food as  the most basic need of man has  compelled him to initiate and manage feasible food production programmes with patriotic  efforts to expand Ebonyi  citizens’ access to food.

“I can tell you how His Excellency, Governor Dave Umahi is changing life for the better in Ebonyi State. The governor is setting standards for others to follow. He is a history maker and he is squarely on the positive side of history. At the moment, all government appointees have specific hectares of land for farming in Ebonyi State. It is compulsory and the governor made it so. This is to ensure food sufficiency not only for Ebonyi citizens but for the whole of East and indeed Nigeria. Governor Umahi is committed to conquering hunger in Nigeria” he disclosed.

Collins added that apart from government appointees, farmers in Ebonyi are being supported by Umahi’s government for all year round food sufficiency. “That is one way to conquer criminality  and other social vices. The governor knows this and he is steadily achieving results. That is the reason  Ebonyi state ranks among the safest States in Nigeria,” he said.