By Raphael Okhiria
The senator representing Edo South Senatorial District in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, Abuja, Senator Neda Imasuen, has empowered 120 cocoa farmers with hybrid cocoa seedlings, high yielding plantain suckers, pumping machines, chemicals and cash.
The farmers were drawn from across the seven Bini speaking Local Government Areas that made up the senatorial district.
Speaking at the empowerment training programme held at the ultramodern hall of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, in Benin City, Senator Imasuen, stated that he embarked on the empowerment programme because of his burning desire to uplift members of his constituency from poverty to prosperity.
He said it was necessary that the people he is representing have access to better life by boosting their agricultural capabilities so as to increase their economic fortunes.
According to him, “the training programme was meant for farmers within and mostly outside Benin City, because farmers in Ovia, Orhionmwon and Uhunmwonde local government areas, respectively, are trained on modern agricultural practices.
“The training programme is mainly for cocoa farmers because many people don’t know that Edo land is fertile to the extent that if we harness our land potential very well, Edo State can become at least third in cocoa production across the country”.
He urged the benefiting farmers to make judicious use of the materials they received to uplift their financial status.
Senator Imasuen who thanked his constituents for standing strong for him, disclosed that he had installed solar lights in 117 streets in four Local Government Areas in Edo South Senatorial District.
He explained that the delay in the execution of some of the projects he has embarked upon in his constituency was due to the delay in the 2024 budget implementation and the delay in releasing funds for such projects.
He however expressed confidence that contractors would be immediately mobilized to sites to complete the project works as soon as funds are released by the federal government.
Some farmers who spoke to media men, including, Mrs. Iguebor Rose, Mr. Moses Kadiri, Ralph Okhiria and Sunny Ozemoya, expressed gratitude to Senator Neda Imasuen for the empowerment programme and promised to use the opportunity judiciously.
They described the training programme as an eye opener and urged him to continue the laudable gesture to raise more farmers from poverty to prosperity, especially during this period of economic hardship.
The resource person at the programme included Messrs Lekan, Theophilus and Dr. Adebiyi Solomon, from the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan.
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