Nkechinye Ewa – Okpara
In a bid to cushion the effects of the current economic situation globally and particularly in the State, RT Hon Francis Nwifuru, the governor of Ebonyi State, Wednesday, launched the disbursement of ₦3,000,000 million naira grants to 100 beneficiaries of the State Government’s Agricultural Empowerment Programme.
The beneficiaries had undergone intensive training at Masters Skills Training Centre, Agbani, Enugu State for some months.
Represented by the Deputy governor, Princess Patricia Onyemaechi Obila, the governor congratulated the beneficiaries of the N3,000,000 million naira grants and urged them to utilize the funds effectively.
Nwifuru announced plans to enroll in fresh over 200 persons, including the 171 Ward Councillors of the State in another Agric Training at Nasarawa State, for subsequent empowerment and advised the beneficiaries to remain good ambassadors of the state.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Human Capital Development and Monitoring, Ann Aligwe, expressed gratitude to Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for his administration’s commitment to enhancing the lives of Ebonyians and emphasised the importance of utilizing the funds by the beneficiaries, saying that her office would monitor their activities in their various farms.
Aligwe, warned them not to give the money to anyone that should anybody demand for some percentage from them, such person should contact her on phone immediately.
She “explained that the three million was part of farm inputs which they need to take off, you are expected to buy all the necessary inputs to enable them grow in agro farm business and become employers of labour”.
On behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr. Adagba Fabian Nwofoke thanked the Governor, Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, for the N3,000,000 grant and pledged their readiness to invest the funds properly without diverting any.