By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja.
Kogi state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello on Wednesday flagged off the distribution of 100 tractors for the 21 local councils to boost food production and some instructional materials to aide teachers in the state.
Governor Bello while launching the tractors and instructive materials in Lokoja on Wednesday, said the incentives were meant for the farmers, women youths, teachers and pupils as part of their efforts to create employment and income for the people of the state.
He stressed that the launching of the tractors was not the first of his administrative commitment to boost agriculture in the state as such efforts to improve farming in the state commenced in 2017, with provision of farming implements to farmers.
The government, according to him has created cluster value system where group of youth and women farmers are provided with implement, incentives and #2m each to engage in farming in their communities.
“If we must end insecurity in the society, we must educate the young, the old and empower the youths, women by providing them the necessary materials or tools”, he said.
He therefore advised the beneficiaries of the tractors and instructional materials to make judicious use of the provided materiald in order to achieve its purpose.
In his opening address, the commissioner for Local government and Chieftaincy Affairs, BarriQster Salami Ozigi Deedat said the commissioning of the tractors is part of the government’s commitment to identify the basic and fundamental factors that will accelerate the socio-economic development of the landscape of the entire kogi .
He pointed out that the distribution of 100 tractors to the 21 local government areas in the state was not only unprecedented in the history of kogi but a major revolution in the agricultural sector that has the capacity to guarantee food security in the state.
