By Raph Christopher
About 6,000 farmers and poor residents have enjoyed over 27 million naira worth food and farm inputs in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
At the distribution of the items to the beneficiaries in Masaka, President and founder of Farmers Favoured Farmers Community Empowerment Trust, FFACET, Ambassador Yakubu J. Tanimu said the initiative was to cushion the effect of coronavirus pandemic on the indigents people.
He explained that government alone would not carter for the needs of people but there was the need for corporate organisations individuals to assist the poor and vulnerables survive the present hard times caused by COVID-19 lockdown.
The president urged corporate organisations and well to do individuals to support government in providing succour for those directly hit by the pandemic.
Tanimu who put the value of the items at twenty seven million eight hundred, said distribution of the items that lasted for 14 days cut across all tribes, religion and political parties.
“We have flag off the distribution of palliatives to indigents people in Masaka area of Nasarawa State, this exercise is meant to assist those who cannot afford the items on their own. 6,000 people have been identified and they will all benefit from the food items and farm inputs.
“This distribution is not base on political, religion and ethnicity but we have carefully select those that are truly in need” he said.
He stated that the Federal Government was doing its best to support Nigerians, but more needed to be done in area of agriculture.
Tanimu urged Federal and the state governments to contribute more to the development of agriculture and rural development across the country.
He said the government should ensure that there is adequate measures to manage post COVID-19, by making provision for subsidy in agriculture to enhance optimal productivity and established a unified framework for systemic delivery of extension services to farmers across the country.
The items donated include beans, corn, organic fertilizer for poor farmers, water pump for irrigation and spiral for farmers.
