By Amaka Ukoha
Non-governmental organizations, in collaboration with United States Agency for International Development, USAID, have called on Imo State government to avert hunger and food insecurity by increasing the Agricultural Budget to 5%.
The groups made the request when they came on a peaceful demonstration to the Government House, at the end of their rally in Owerri on Wednesday.
Speaking at the end of the rally, the convener, Mr. Eni Oko Elechi, the program director for CDF, an Owerri-based NGO, stated that the rally was for the Agric club cluster which is a conpendium of NGOs doing advocacy for the increase in Agriculture budget to 5% in Imo, Abia and Ebonyi States.
According to him, they rally in Imo is to sensitize the populace on the need to tap into the various areas of Agricultural endeavours, to ensure that there is food security and also promote agricultural activities for people to be able to harness and make meaningful living to improve livelihood.
Mr. Elechi maintained, that before the project was started in November, a political economy analysis was conducted to find out where the budget is and discovered that Imo State Agriculture budget is at 1.7%, which is not enough to for the needs of small scale farmers who produce almost 70% of consumable crops in the state.
He said based on that, they had to start the advocacy movement, after a thorough finding from the study which was done around all the agencies and departments in Imo State that are in the Agriculture Sector.
The groups said part of the rally is to sensitise the public to be able to engage more in farming.
In his response, the deputy chief of staff, Government House who represented Governor Hope Uzodinma, to receive the groups when they presented the letter of advocacy to the at the Government House, Barr. Emeka Agbor, appreciated the groups for the move and assured them that their request will get to the governor who has the final say on their demand.
The deputy chief of staff noted that the 5% increment on budget is a state executive council decision, adding that the governor is Agriculture-friendly who might want to do all he can to improve on Agriculture.
