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The Rivers State chapter All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has inaugurated a new executive, led by Chief Ofioma-bari Igwe, to pilot its activities. The executive takes over from the Prince Alphaeus Ibanichuka-led team which stepped down recently.
AFAN’ national vice chairman (South South), Chief Michael Udo Akpan, described the farmers’ association as the “biggest family in world,” noting that farming was the first profession ordained by God.
“God made us farmers, in different areas, such as aqua-farming, and others. We feed the nation,” he said, noting that if farmers can produce food for the best persons in the society, and have the necessary knowledge vested in them by God, then “why can’t we produce law to run our own affairs.”
He frowned at the concept of briefcase famers, as he noted that the federal government has planned a lot of good programmes for farmers in the country. He urged the Rivers AFAN to take advantage of these to improve their lot, and also ensure that they get rid of the briefcase farmer.
New AFAN state chairman, Chief Ofioma-bari Igwe, noted that a tree cannot make a forest, as he urged association members to “come together to ensure that we take the association to greater heights.
“AFAN has come to stay. With the collective efforts of everyone, AFAN will progress and get to the top and farmers will get what is due them,” he said.
On the issue of ‘briefcase farmers,’ Igwe said his administration will seek to bring such persons “into the farming system and ensure that we eradicate the system of briefcase farmers.
“Farmers in Rivers State should expect good result and progress, as we will carry everyone along,” he said.
The outgoing AFAN state chairman, Prince Alphaeus Ibanichuka, who for five years steered the farmers’ body through some of its defining period, said his administration worked hard to improve the lot of farmers in the state.
Ibanichuka said that apart from securing a secretariat for the association, his executive was also able to get a revolving loan for farmers in the state. He however lamented that the incidence of defaulters hampered members from enjoying the full benefits of the loan.
The outgoing chairman, who was returned to the new executive as an ex-officio, said “our duty to the new executive is to encourage them, and offer them good advice on the ways to move the association forward.”
Alongside the new executive, coordinators at the council level were inaugurated for most of the local government areas of the state.
