From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Delta State chapter of GOFARM Nigeria, an agribusiness initiative aimed at helping to bridge the gap between the poor and the rich using enhanced food security, has been inaugurated.
Said to be Nigeria’s leading one stop shop for solutions in agribusiness, the initiative has incentives for both small, medium and large scale farmers.
Its latest inauguration makes Delta the 19th state in Nigeria that had so far keyed into GOFARM, an initiative also geared towards fighting hunger and creating wealth.
Performing the inauguration of GOFARM in Asaba, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Perez Omoun, enjoined the executive members to work in line with the state government M.O.R.E agenda.
He tasked the six-man team led by Sony Neme, a community leader, to promote agriculture in a manner that would add meaning to the value chain in the state.
Omoun said the present administration is focused on meaningful engagement with farmers in the state, “that will impact positively on the land, because we believe that if everyone can tilt towards owning a farm, there would be food security in the state.
“If agriculture must take her rightful place of providing food security, we must also weigh our interest in land holding.
“We are assuring GOFARM Delta of government collaboration, so members of this executive should roll up their sleeves and walk the talk of your organisation, by ensuring that food security becomes a reality in the state.”
Grand Patron of GOFARM, Paul Enebeli, called for the diversification of the state revenue from oil to an agriculturally stable state.
Enebeli urged Delta GOFARM to work alongside the commissioner in ensuring they achieve their visions of food security and changing the narrative to a food producing state.
He said with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori “and his capable team, Delta is bound for a revival of this important economic driver that agriculture is; especially as the state is blessed with fertile lands for agricultural produce.
“That can become a major source of revenue and not just oil, hence the need for all hands to be on deck in ensuring that there is food sufficiency in the state.
“I look towards to the organization uniting with government and make the best out of the state rich and vast land, so that we can give out palliative to people based on clusters.”
Delta GOFARM Ambassador, Sony Neme, hailed the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, for displaying an unusual leadership trait, adding that it was a new dawn in the state’s agricultural sector.
“This is sure a new dawn, as we join forces with our amiable governor, Rt. Hon. Oborevwori, in commitments towards a success agric revolution that is ongoing in the state.
“Today is historic in many ways as we join 19 other states that have keyed into GOFARM to stem hunger and poverty that is ravaging our dear country,” he said.
Apart from Neme who is the state Ambassador of GOFARM, other members of the executive including Mrs. Christy Aboghe, Administrative Secretary; Blessing Okuya, Public Relations Officer; Mrs. Ebere Esuabom, Marketing manager; Theo Odonore, Cooperative Officer; and Mrs. Edna Ojieh, Financial Secretary.