Mbah Distributes Power Tiller Machines, Other Packages To Flood Victims

The Enugu State Government, through the Fadama platform under the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme, has distributed 10 Power Tillers machines to the people of Okpanku and Ezinesi Oduma communities affected by flood disaster.

Governor Peter Mbah, also distributed other Agro Inputs and food assistance to the communities for a rapid recovery, assuring that the state government is taking proactive steps to prevent future flooding occurrences in the affected communities, as part of its commitment to protecting the lives and livelihoods of Enugu State residents.

The  distribution ceremony which recently took place at Enugu State Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation was attended by the Ministry Officials, Executives of Farmers Community Associations (FCA) and Fadama team.

Governor Mbah, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Hon Patrick Ubru, noted that flood is a natural disaster, that as a responsible government, the Governor heard about the plights of the victims and gave approval for the emergency response.

According to him, preliminary investigations indicate that the flood disaster that ravaged Okpanku and Ezinesi Oduma communities in Enugu State was caused by different factors. In Okpanku, the flood was primarily triggered by the overflow of the river bank, which couldn’t contain the heavy rainfall. On the other hand, the flood in Ezinesi Oduma was largely attributed to the inadequate design and construction of low bridges, which are easily overwhelmed by water during heavy downpours.

Hon. Ubru emphasized the state government’s commitment to supporting farmers and enhancing food security, describing the Governor as the Chief farmer of Enugu State who is so passionate about agriculture and has the interest of farmers at heart.

“This intervention is part of our efforts to mitigate the impact of the flood disaster on our farmers”, Governor Mbah said.

“We recognise the critical role agriculture plays in our state’s economy, and we will continue to provide support to our farmers  to ensure food security and economic growth.

Speaking to the newsmen, the State Project Coordinator of Fadama, Mr Geoffrey Eze explained that the power tillers would improve agricultural productivity, reduce the drudgery associated with manual farming and alleviate the suffering of the affected farmers.

“Each power tiller will benefits 40 farmers, bringing the total number of the beneficiaries to 400 farmers across Okpanku and Ezinesi Oduma communities,” Eze said.

Also, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Victor Ngwu, enjoined the beneficiaries to put the power tillers to good use, as the ultimate goal is to recover from the devastating effects of the flood, which will enable them key into the vision of state government to ensure productivity and food security.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, President General of Ezinesi Oduma and the Chairman of Ngeneanwanta Ezinesi Oduma 1, Farmers Community Association, Hon Godfrey Kamah, expressed gratitude to the Enugu state government for the timely intervention.

“This support will greatly ease our farming activities and alleviate our suffering. We thank Governor Mbah for this support given to us,”. he said.