Food Security: AKSG Doubles FG Rice Donation to Akwa Ibom

Okon Bassey in Uyo 

Akwa Ibom State Government has said that the donation of food items by the federal government to states was an indication that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is caring and responsive.

The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information, Comrade Ini Ememobong made the remark while 

acknowledging receipt of 24,000 (Twenty-four thousand) bags of 25kg rice donated by the Federal Government as  part of the efforts to cushion the current food crisis in the country. 

The commissioner said the  State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno  appreciates the Federal Government for being “caring and responsive” at this very critical time, which is indicative that the apex government is in tune with the current struggles facing citizens. 

He disclosed that the state government has doubled the donation of the federal government by adding another 24,000 bags of 25kg rice to increase the quantity to 48,000  bags of rice to ensure more families benefit from the intervention.

The commissioner explained that through this food intervention, 20 bags of rice each will be shared to the  2,272 gazetted villages in the state. 

“This is in addition to the over 100,000 families drawn from the social register, who have already received, and others who will be receiving,  free food items from the state government through the Bulk  Purchase Agency. 

“This food intervention by the government is aimed at cushioning the effect of the hardship currently faced by our citizens, and to reduce extreme hunger and poverty as stipulated by Sustainable Development Goal 1. 

He, however, stressed that the long-term and sustainable solution remains the Back to Farm Initiative of the State Government to boost local food production, which is the reason for the declaration of the first and third  Fridays of the month as work-free farming days by the Governor.  

Additionally, he said  “the Ministry of Agriculture has undertaken several strategic interventions the distribution of cassava cuttings, maize grains, pepper seedlings, and coconut seedlings to 135 public primary and secondary schools, shared 150,000 cocoa seedlings to cocoa farmers, distributed 40,000 oil palm seedlings to oil palm farmers, 80,000 pepper seedlings to vegetable farmers, 4 piglets, 3 weaners(goats) to 1,200 livestock farmers, 50 day old chics with 6 bags of feed distributed to 700 poultry farmers, bags of feeds distributed to 200 aquaculture farmers etc.  

“These are in addition to the provision of livelihood grants of N150,000 to 1,560 beneficiaries, provision of agricultural inputs (day-old chicks, juveniles, feed, etc), and services to 900 farmers undertaken under the AKCARES Scheme. 

Accordng to Ememobong, “distribution of the Federal and State Governments Food Intervention will be done at Local Government Council Headquarters from where respective  Council Chairmen will ensure that 20 bags each are safely transported to all the gazetted villages.”