Flood: Forum lauds FG plan to compensate farmers The Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), a pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, has applauded the Federal Government plans to compensate farmers affected by the 2018 flooding in the country. The President of NUF, Mr Augustine Chukwudum, gave the commendation while speaking with Newsmen on Monday in Enugu. Chukwudum said that […]
Flood: Forum lauds FG plan to compensate farmers
The Ndigbo Unity Forum (NUF), a pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, has applauded the Federal Government plans to compensate farmers affected by the 2018 flooding in the country.
The President of NUF, Mr Augustine Chukwudum, gave the commendation while speaking with Newsmen on Monday in Enugu.
Chukwudum said that the decision to compensate the farmers was in the right direction and “in the overall interest of the country’’.
He noted that the destruction done by the heavy flooding to farms across the country was monumental, adding that it affected about 65 per cent of farms.
“'NUF commends President Muhammadu Buhari for the plan of his administration to compensate farmers whose farmlands were affected by this year heavy flood that affected over 65 per cent farmlands.
“We call on the Federal Government to ensure that the compensation is done quickly to avoid food scarcity next year.
“The quick response by government is needed so that farmers will start dry season farming immediately,’’ he said.
Chukwudum also urged the Federal Government to closely monitor the compensation process and to ensure that politicians do not hijack the process.
“The Federal Government must make sure that those who will benefit from the compensation are genuine farmers not jobless politicians whose duty is to reap where they did not sow
“Any amount map-out for the compensation must be open and all hands must on deck to make sure things are done well and fairly.
“We call on farmers’ bodies to appreciate this gesture by co-operating with the Federal Government to ensure farmers are not denied what is due for them,’’ he said.
According to him, NUF demands that South-East governors copy President Buhari’s planned gesture by providing farm tools, seedlings and soft loans to enable farmers in the zone settle down and get over the past.
“We also call on our governors to start massive road asphalt in our rural areas; this will attract more people into farming and make the South-East, food basket of the nation.
“It will also help in creating jobs for teeming numbers of unemployed youths as well as reduce crime to the barest minimum in the zone.
Supreme Magazine reports that the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said President Muhammdu Buhari had assured farmers affected by this year flood of compensation.
Adesina, in a statement in Abuja, said Buhari gave the assurance in a message to Farmers’ Day 2018 on Saturday at Yenagoa, Bayelsa.
Source: NAN
Photo Credit: NAN
