Joy enveloped many parts of Abia-North Senatorial District on Sunday over the prompt fulfillment of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu’s pledge to dole out free Cassava milling machines to farmers in the entire villages in the 103 wards of the Senatorial zone.
As promised by Kalu during his ongoing re-election campaign tour, the Senate Chief Whip disclosed that he had continued to observe the hardship some of the cassava farmers pass through in the course of processing their cassava into finished products.
Further findings according to him revealed that some of the challenges 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 horse powered engines which he said will increase the farmers output, profit and economic livelihood.
Taking delivery of the equipments at Amankalu, where the distribution commenced Chairlady of Isiaku Alayi Women development Association, Mrs. Ngozi Ojukwu showered praises on Senator Kalu whom she described as a blessing to them. She thanked Kalu for attending to their basic needs when most needed both as Governor and 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.
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.
Another community representative at Amaibo Amankalu Alayi, Ndidiamaka Ndukwe expressed the delight of the farmers. Speaking on behalf of jubilant women who converged to take delivery of the items, Ndukwe offered words of prayers for Kalu. According to her 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 his impacts as Senator praying for his successes in his future endeavours and the Senate elections.
At Okupfu Amankalu, community leader Mrs. Josephine Mba commended Kalu for the prompt delivery of the items, according to her it will go a long way in helping them process their farm produce, saying that Kalu is with the heart of the people. She declared the readiness of the people to elect him again for another term at the Senate describing his first term as beneficial to them.
Speaking on behalf of Senator Orji Kalu, the Executive Secretary OUK Foundation, Rev. Ola Jemimah Kalu who supervised the exercise disclosed that the items were procured by the zeal of the Senator to ease the stress and uplift the financial well being of the people, she urged them to ensure that the machines were properly maintained for optimal usage.
