Wife of the Governor of Cross River State, Rev. Eyoanwan Bassey Otu has urged female framers to make judicious use of the five hundred thousand naira grant given to them to enhance food production and sustainability in the State.
Speaking during the disbursement, Rev. Otu mentioned that the gesture is the benevolence of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) to encourage female farmers.
Appreciating “Team Mmadiagha” for their support to her office, the Governor’s wife described them as dogged, consistent, supportive, energetic, and reliable, adding that their support has served as a nudge for her to persist with all that God has placed in her heart for Cross Riverians.
Rev. Otu urged the team to continuously shine the light of hope, love, and humanity to the people in their various communities, and always think Cross River.
Earlier in an opening remark, the Senior Special Adviser on Administration, office of the Wife of the Governor, Dr. Comfort Oko lauded the Governor’s wife for the initiative to gather the beneficiaries of the Renewed Hope Initiative Women Agricultural Support Programme to disburse the seed fund, pointing out that it shows accountability and transparency.
Dr. Oko mentioned that the N500,000.00 given to 20 beneficiaries is a fund capital for multiplicity in due course for women in agriculture to enhance food production in the communities and the State in general.
She appreciated the Governor’s wife for showing appreciation to “Team Mmadiagha” for their support to the activities of her office.
In her goodwill message, the State Vice Chairman, All Progressive Congress, Hon. Titi Ndifon described the Governor’s wife as a mother with the heart of gold, who is constantly thinking of the development of women in the State.
She stated that the empowerment of 20 female farmers through the RHI programme is a deliberate effort towards food sustenance in the State and the country at large.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Mary Ekpere appreciated the First Lady of the country and the wife of the State Governor for the grant, adding that the best thing to do right now in Nigeria is farming.
She stated that the Governor’s wife is passionate about farming not just to put food on the table but for food sufficiency.
Mrs. Ekpere added that farmers also earn a living through selling their farm produce and called on those who have farms to go back to their farms and promised the readiness of the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the grant and multiply it accordingly.
Highpoint of the event was the issuance of N500,000.00 to the beneficiaries of the RHI and the distribution of bags of rice and beans to members of the “Team Mmadiagha” and lots of dancing with the Governor’s wife.
Esther Okoi
