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From Isaac Job, Uyo
Akwa Ibom State Governor Pastor Umo Eno has said that the state government will stop what he described as portfolio farmers in a bid to achieve food sufficiency in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Eno, while responding to questions from journalists at the Government House, Uyo, during the Akwa Ibom State Government Ministerial Briefing/End-of-Year Review, said portfolio farmers are those who present themselves as farmers without owning any farms but apply for agricultural loans and other facilities meant for genuine farmers.
Eno explained that a Food Security Committee would be constituted to monitor the activities of farmers in the state.
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“We would also create a farmers’ wallet to track their activities. The wallet will reach any Akwa Ibom farmer anywhere in the state. The Food Security Committee will work with the Ministry of Agriculture to realise this,” he said.
Eno noted that the process of identifying genuine farmers might be cumbersome but expressed optimism about its eventual success.
“The verification committee will ensure that farmers are authentic and genuine so that the government can work with them, so that food sufficiency will be possible,” he added.
