Poor Access Road Threatens IFAD-Assisted Projects In Abia

Community projects being funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Abia are being threatened by the lack of access road, according to our correspondent.

The projects include a six-hectare of plantain plantation, 12 hectares of cassava farms in Okwoyi, Umuahia North local government area, a seven-hectare rice plantation in Atan Abam, Arochukwu local government and another seven-hectare of rice plantation in Ofeme, Umuahia North local government area.

The projects were executed under the IFAD-assisted Community-Based Natural Resources management programme currently being implemented in the nine states in the Niger Delta region. They include Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers States.

The programme is being implemented under a counterpart fund arrange-ment with contributions from the Federal, states and local governments as well as the benefitting communities.

The NDDC is also providing additional financial support. Mr Mark Ezeala, the State Programme Officer (SPO) told our correspondent that the programmes was targeted at the “poorest of the poor” in the state and that was why they were located in rural areas.

The IFAD/FGN team which recently visited the state on a supervision mission, could not access the various plantations due to bad roads.

The situation was worst in Okwoyi where the team which had defied heavy rainfall to complete their mission in the state, were compelled to beat a retreat as the roads were impassable.

At Ofeme, the team in their rain boots, took pains to swim across the swampy bad roads for inspection.

Mr Robert Nwoko, a beneficiary from Okwoyi, said: “The programme has brought succour to the people but the roads to our plantations are impassable.

“Since we started this programme, there have been lots of improvement in our

daily living, but we want the government to look into some of the areas we have problems.”

Nwoko said efforts by him and other farmers to boost cultivation of cassava and plantain would amount to nothing if there were no roads to link the plantations.

Mr Okorie Okorie, another beneficiary from Atani Abam, told newsmen that apart from

the poor state of roads in their community, they were also grappling with old and outdated methods of cultivation.

Okorie said that if the Federal Government was desirous of realising the objectives of the IFAD-sponsored projects in the state, there was the need to introduce modern farming techniques.

He said that government should also provide tractors and other equipment to farmers.

Also speaking with newsmen, Mrs Judith Nwaogwugwu, another beneficiary, stressed the need for financiers of the project to increase the amount of funds given to beneficiaries.