Ibiam Lauds Abia Governor, urges him to approve, release counterpart funds for Livestock Farming
By Charity Uwakwe
A former Special Adviser to the Governor on youths Empowerment in Agriculture and governing Council member, Hon. Obinna Mbah Ibiam has commended the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti OFR, for paying the outstanding salaries of Abia workers and pensioners owed by the past administrations.
The youth empowerment leader also pleaded with the Governor to approve and pledging to redeem the promised counterpart funds to empower some youths of Abia to fully embrace agriculture, a promise which could not see the daylight during the previous administration.
Ibiam who regretted that the immediate past PDP administration of Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu had failed to release the approved counterpart funds to Bank of Agriculture, in a recent live session with Flo FM, described Otti as “a youths and Agric-Microfinance Cooperative friendly Governor”.
Ibiam who expressed an aura of confidence in the Governor, used the medium to plead with Governor Otti to release the already signed counterpart funds, pointing out that it will enable beneficiaries to access the anticipated grants and soft loans from the bank of Agriculture.
“We are pleading with the Governor now to release the counterpart funds which has already been signed to enable us get the grant from the bank of Agriculture.
And we are working tirelessly believing that our Governor in the person of Dr. Alex Otti will heed our request, as a promise keeping Agric and youths friendly Governor. Therefore, we strongly believe he’ll do it for us.
Continuing, he said:
“We are hoping to launch this scheme the 26 of September, 2024, and with this, the production of milk, leather, meat etc will be abundant in our State .
To the youths, let us rejoice, because God has remembered us ,for with this we can comfortably fend for ourselves.”
Speaking further, he appealed to the Minister of Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari to support Otti in ensuring a successful launching of the proposed Livestock Processing Farm in the State.
“We are welcoming with the Minister of Agriculture, the regional director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Bank of Agriculture, Abia State to join us in the flag off and implementation of the first of its kind, hence Diary Farm, Livestock production processing zone in southeast region. This will go a long way in curbing farmers -herders clash, prevent food inflation and create job opportunities for our teaming unemployed youths.
“Also, we urge him to empower Aba sellers in their production such as in shoe making by providing raw materials for them, as well as empower about 3000 youths to engage in livestock farming by giving them at least one plot of land each for a start to enable them produce livestock in large quantities such as like cows, leather, etc.
He further revealed that not fewer than 200 youths “have been selected and trained already from each local government for this scheme.
“This will enable us to produce stocks in large quantities and also export to other countries as well and also to reduce the conflict between Igbo and Hausa in livestock production.
It would be recalled that the youth leader had informed Famousreporters.com earlier that the Federal government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had approved of the establishment of Youth Dairy Farm Livestock Production Processing Zone Industry and the creation of thirty thousand (30,000) jobs in Abia State.
