The Imo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Longers Anyanwu, has emphasized the role of agriculture as a tool for rural development, job creation, and tackling insecurity across the state.
Chief Anyanwu stated this during a meeting with the General Manager and management team of the Imo State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) at his office in the State Secretariat Complex, Owerri.
The Commissioner noted that expanding agricultural activities in rural communities would not only boost food production, insisting that it will also stimulate development and reduce the space for criminal activities.
According to him, effective utilization of rural lands for farming would help address insecurity, as idle bushes often provide hiding places for criminal elements.
He suggested that providing agricultural support, farm inputs, and implements to those willing to embrace farming could encourage them to abandon crime and significantly contribute to food production.
“Agriculture is not only for food production but also a vehicle for rural development,” Anyanwu said.
He further stressed the need for deliberate policies that would transform rural communities through agriculture.
Speaking on the state of the Imo State ADP, the Commissioner expressed concern over the declining condition of the agency, describing it as a shadow of the institution he helped nurture during his previous tenure as Commissioner for Agriculture.
He warned that the agency was at risk of becoming moribund if urgent measures were not taken to reposition it.
The Commissioner recalled the achievements of the ADP during his earlier assignment at the ministry, particularly its outstanding performance in the FADAMA programmes, where Imo ADP emerged among the best in the country.
Earlier, the General Manager of Imo ADP, Dr. Jones Uzoka, said the visit was to familiarize the management team with the Commissioner and present the challenges confronting the agency.
The Imo State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
Dr. Uzoka highlighted issues including the non-payment of counterpart funding since 2011, encroachment on ADP lands by land grabbers, loss of World Bank-trained personnel, and inadequate manpower to drive agricultural transformation in the state.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Alexander Onwumere, expressed worry over the state of the agency, saying his personal assessment of the ADP revealed serious challenges that require immediate intervention.
In response to the concerns raised, Anyanwu directed the management of Imo ADP to compile comprehensive documentation of all encroached ADP lands, including their locations, and develop innovative strategies for reviving the agency.
