The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Offiong Offor, announced at a press briefing on Friday that 48,000 bags of rice will be distributed to the vulnerable in Akwa Ibom State.
The briefing was held at the NUJ Press Centre in Uyo.
Dr. Offor explained that the rice would be shared among the 2,272 gazetted villages in the state. This includes 24,000 bags sent by the federal government and an additional 24,000 bags approved by the State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno.
She said, “The governor decided to augment the Federal Government donation as an act of responsibility to reach out to more families, rather than indulge in blame game.”
She also expressed the governor’s gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his care and responsiveness to the struggles faced by Nigerians. “Each of the 2,272 gazetted villages in the state will receive 20 bags of rice,” Dr. Offor stated. She added that over 100,000 families from the social register would receive free food items from the state Bulk Purchase Agency.
Dr. Offor emphasized that this distribution is a short-term solution to hunger and food insufficiency. The long-term solution lies in the back-to-farm initiative and work-free farm days to enhance local food production. She mentioned, “The state government has already implemented several strategic interventions, including distributing cassava cuttings, maize grains, pepper seedlings, and coconut seedlings to schools and farmers.”
The Commissioner highlighted other interventions like providing 150,000 cocoa seedlings to cocoa farmers, 40,000 palm seedlings to oil palm farmers, and 80,000 pepper seedlings to vegetable farmers. The state has also given livelihood grants of N50,000 to 1,560 beneficiaries and agricultural inputs to 900 farmers under the AK-CARES Scheme.
Dr. Offor explained the distribution process: “The rice will be distributed at local government council headquarters, from where the council chairmen will ensure safe transportation of 20 bags to each gazetted village.” The date for this distribution will be announced soon.
Comrade Amos Etuk, Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, appreciated the state government’s proactive measures. He assured that journalists would continue to promote development through objective journalism.
