It was a day of laughter foy Abia-North Senatorial District farmers yesterday as Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu empowered them with farm implements in fulfillment of his earlier pledge.
The equipment are free Cassava milling machines for farmers in the entire villages in the 103 wards of the Senatorial zone, even as other politicians are hoarding cash for election campaigns.
The gesture by Kalu was to his promise during his ongoing re-election campaign tour, he observe the hardship some of the cassava farmers pass through in the course of processing their cassava into finished products.
According to Kalu who is the Senate Chief Whip disclosed “careful observation revealed that some of the challenges facing the farmers include limited availability of the machines due to its high cost which resulted in delays and increase in cost of grinding the cassava”.
To cushion the effect, the former Abia Governor subsequently procured over 800 units of the plants fully fabricated with powerful motorized engines which he said “will increase the farmers output, profit and economic livelihood”.
Taking delivery of the equipments at Amankalu Alayi, in Bende LGA where the distribution started, the Chairlady of Isiaku Alayi Women Development Association, Mrs. Ngozi Ojukwu described Kalu as a blessing to them and thanked him for attending to their basic needs when most needed both as Governor and now as a Lawmaker.
“These machines are coming at the right time , because its unavailability has really limited our capacity to produce, with these we are really encouraged and it will save us a lot of costs.
“Our Senator has always prioritised our needs. During the rainy seasons, our roads used to be impassibible but now he has constructed it up to Akoli. We now transverse smoothly without stress and the water bole we are drinking here in “Obuchie” in Amankalu was installed by him. There’s no reason we shouldn’t vote massively for him in the forthcoming elections”, Madam Ojukwu said.
Similarly, another community representative at Amaibo Amankalu Alayi, Madam Ndidiamaka Ndukwe expressed the delight of the farmers in the area stating, “Kalu has continued to replicate his good deeds as governor of the state” which she said centered on free education, empowerment of farmers, prompt payment of civil servants and gratuities to retirees, and building of infrastructure.
She outlined Kalu’s impacts as Senator and prayed for his success in the forthcoming 2023 senatorial elections.
At Okupfu Amankalu, a community leader Madam Josephine Mba commended Kalu for the prompt delivery of the items, stating that it will go a long way in helping them process their farm produce.
Kalu she said is in the heart of the people and declared the readiness of the people to elect him again for another term at the Senate since his first term is beneficial to them.
Speaking on behalf of Senator Orji Kalu, the Executive Secretary of OUK Foundation, Rev. Jemimah Ola Kalu who supervised the exercise said the items were procured by the Senator to ease the stress of famers in his constituency and to uplift the financial well being of the people.
Rev. Kalu urged them to ensure that the machines were properly maintained for optimal usage.
