The Kogi State Women In Agriculture (KOWIA) has raised alarm over alleged plot by politicians to deny its members benefiting from the N750 million agricultural loan recently initiated by the state government.
The Chairperson of KOWIA, Mrs Esther Audu, who stated this at the weekend, said that those behind the plot had resorted to writing anonymous petitions to tarnish the image of the state government and the agricultural transformation programme.
According to her, KOWIA and its over 6,000 members spread across the 21 local government areas of the state had no hand in the petition, saying that their main concern is how to stop rice importation and address youth unemployment by both the federal and Kogi State governments.
“We are begging politicians not to use farmers to play politics. Political positions will come and go, farming will remain. We don’t know how to play politics, what we know is how to put food on the table of the people,” she said.
Esther said the N750 million agricultural loan programme recently flagged off by the state government was actually based on a request for cash support from the state government by farmers in the state, wondering why farmers should be accused of frustrating the initiative.
Esther said over 1,000 farmers, including members of KOWIA, had applied for the loans, pleading with the state governor, Idris Wada to ensure that only genuine farmers access the facility.
She commended the governor for clearing and preparing the over 1,000 hectares of rice farmland in Ukomi and SarkiNoma areas of Lokoja free of charge for farmers and for providing improved rice and maize seedlings, fertilizers and other farming implements to farmers.
