News
N1bn Agric Loan Ready For Disbursement -Gov Orji
Published By
PM NEWS Live
Date
4th November, 2011
The disbursement of N1 billion loan to farmers in Abia would commence before 1 December, 2011, Governor Theodore Orji of Abia said on Friday.
Orji stated this in an address presented on his behalf by the Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr Paul Mba in Umuahia at a sensitisation workshop organised by the State Ministry of Agriculture.
 Orji said that he had signed the Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) to pave way for the payment to enable the state to access the loan for lending to farmers.
The governor charged the Ministries of Finance and Agriculture to work out modalities for genuine farmers, alone, to access the loan.
Orji added that the government was collaborating with the Abia State Oil Producing Area Development Commission, local governments to create more than 5,000 jobs through the 17 Liberation Farms in each of the 17 local councils.
“The motive of this collaboration is to develop the rural areas and discourage our youths from seeking the white collar jobs.
“All we want is for farmers to be innovative and ensure the state occupies an enviable status in the agriculture map of the nation,’’ he said.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Ike Onyenweaku, in his address of welcome, said the workshop attended by selected farmers across the state, was aimed at building capacity of genuine farmers.
“This forum will provide necessary windows for radical acceleration and sustainable food production.
“Farmers will be mobilised and sensitised on the effective and efficient use of credit facilities and other agricultural inputs to promote food security,’’ he said.
Onyenweaku told the participants that the government had paid its counterpart funds for FADAMA III, IFAD/FGN/NDDC Community-based Natural Resources Management Projects, and Commercial Tractor-hiring.
He urged stakeholders to take the lecture seriously and ask questions on grey areas, stressing that accessing the loan would be determined by the competency of an applicant to demonstrate knowledge of how to handle the facility prudently.
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