The lawmaker representing Irepodun-Ifelodun Constituency 2 in Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hakeem Jamiu, has distributed seedlings and agrochemicals to 153 farmers in his constituency.
The beneficiaries were drawn from the 11 communities in the constituency, including Awo, Igbemo, Esure, Iworoko, Orun, Are, Afao, Iropora, Ilamo, Eyio and Araromi Obbo.
Inputs distributed were 12 bags of rice seedlings, 35 bags of maize seedlings, 35 cartons of sprayers, agrochemicals, 35 packs of cassava seedlings, 36 packs of Aminocom for rice, maize and others.
Speaking during the distribution of the products in Igbemo-Ekiti, the Ex-Deputy Speaker said the efforts were in line with Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s government agenda to boost local food production and banish hunger.
Jamiu added that the intervention is also tailored towards encouraging farmers in all 11 communities in his constituency ahead of the planting season.
He identified farming as one of the tools to tackle insecurity plaguing the country, saying when farmers are fully engaged, there won’t be unoccupied bushes for the kidnappers to hide.
He said: “It’s a constituency engagement and I want to encourage people to go back to farming because, in the 6th Assembly, I sponsored a bill which is now law titled: ‘Ekiti State Food Security Law’ where I proposed that everybody should go back to the farm and own a farm so that we should be able to feed ourselves”.
“The government is encouraging everybody to go to farm. There is food crisis that’s why we have palliative. It is a way of encouraging farmers and implementing the law which I sponsored. That is why I gave my constituents farm implements, sprayers, chemicals and seedlings.
“I also believe that if we go back to the farm, it’s a way of curbing insecurity because when all the farms are occupied, there is no way kidnappers will put their victims. I know government will secure our farms through Agro Rangers.
“I encourage the farmers to go back to the farm because these kidnappers only occupy unoccupied bushes. When our bushes are occupied, there will be an end to insecurity because the kidnappers take advantage of bushes.
“I charge them to make good use of them because this is a planting season. Before now, they used to rent the sprayers. The seedlings have been specially made and treated”, he added.
Similarly, his counterpart from Irepodun-Ifelodun Constituency 1, Femi Akindele, described the intervention as part of the shared prosperity agenda of the state government in ensuring that there is food sufficiency for the people of the state.
He said: “It’s an intervention which has come at the right time. We cannot have any time better than now. We are just entering the planting season. This will help the farmers get the high need and output of their farm produce by giving them quality seedlings.
“What you can’t take away from the government of Biodun Oyebanji is that he has a shared prosperity for every Ekiti people. The 7th Assembly have taken it upon ourselves to support the governor with everything in order for the government to succeed”.
