UMUAHIA – Abia State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze, has dismissed allegations that non-farmers were included as beneficiaries in the AUDA-NEPAD program.
At his Umuahia office on Wednesday, Dr. Agbaeze said the first phase of the program, which benefited 1,000 farmers, involved only verified, genuine farmers. He also denied accusations that he favored certain candidates for farmers’ leadership positions.
“Due to factional divisions among farmer groups in Abia, we worked directly with genuine farmers to ensure program inputs reached the right hands,” he said.
Earlier, the Abia chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) claimed its genuine members were excluded. AFAN leaders, including Chairman Gift Ogbonna, argued that some beneficiaries of the August 21, 2025 program were not recognized members.
While praising Governor Alex Otti for supporting smallholder farmers, the group insisted that the Commissioner’s actions undermined AFAN’s authority. Ogbonna said, “Farmers want their voice to be heard so that no individual will sabotage this God-given administration.”
The dispute highlights ongoing tension between government agencies and farmers’ groups over access and representation in state-led agricultural programs.
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