by crossriverwatch admin
Professor Ben Ayade, the Senator representing the Northern Senatorial District of Cross River State over the weekend kept to his promise to empower his constituents by supplying them high yielding rice seedlings for planting in the ongoing rice cultivation season.
The Faro 44 high yield rice specie which was brought to his Constituency office in Ogoja by trucks from Lagos during the week was distributed to the five local government areas of the senatorial districts from where it was shared to the sixty four council wards which constitute the senatorial district.
Mr. Ochikry Idagabo, Personal Assistant to the Senator told CrossRiverWatch in Ogoja that the rice was given to all constituents irrespective of their party affiliation.”Senator Ayade represents the entire northern senatorial district and not PDP members only so the rice was given to everyone who is a rice farmer because the objective is to empower the people of the north”.
He said the rice is high quality variety which is not readily available to the people for cultivation that accounts for Senator Ayade interest in bringing the rice in truck loads to be distributed free to the people. “Professor Ayade comes from a farming background, and do not forget, he is a good farmer himself so he knows the needs of the people and rice is the cash crop where the average farmer can sell and send his children to school”.
Idagbo said over three thousand rice farmers had access to the free rice and next week, the fertilizer which Senator Ayade had made provision for the farmers to nourish their rice farm for maximum productivity would be distributed to them to apply to their farms.”
A beneficiary of the rice Paul Okpaku from Bekwara l local Government Area said he was surprised with Ayade’s magnanimity through the free distribution of the rice. “We have been having senators since then and we have not seen anything like this; we are really surprised that he can do this for us”.
Paul said he benefited from the free medical treatment sponsored benefited from the rice largesse.
Another farmer from Yala, Ugbem Lukpata said the rice given to him will go a long way in solving his rice seedlings need. “I have been looking for this faro 44 and nobody is willing to give me, now I have it free I am very happy today”.
follow us on twitter @crossriverwatch
Leave feedback about this