From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
The Nigerian Farmers Cooperative Societies (NANFACOS) Limited, a national agricultural work force set up to complement efforts of the federal government in agricultural practices, has made the CEO of Innoson Group of Companies, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, a member of its Board of Trustees to represent the South East.
The management of the organisation led by its first elected national president, Chief Nwogwugwu Uzoma, along with the national secretary, Mallsm Muhammed Kuyizhi, His Royal Highness, Brigadier General Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar (retd), the Board of Trustees member for North Central who was represented by Alhaji Wakili Baba Yahaya, all the executive representatives from the six geo-political zones of Nigeria, among others, were present at the occasion.
Chief Uzoma said that the appointment of Chief Chukwuma as the BoT member was in accordance with the bye-laws of the organisation through the approval of the federal department on cooperatives, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The national president explained that several considerations were made during a meeting of the five South Eastern States executives of Abia, Imo, Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi who he said looked at the role Chief Chukwuma had played in socio-economic development of Nigeria.
‘Chief Chukwuma has impacted so many lives in the Nigerian society. He has made lives meaningful to so many. His philanthropic gestures as an industrialist and most importantly his passion for agriculture were the barometers and reasons he was found suitable for the appointment. We are confident in Chief Chukwuma who is a merchant and highly experienced business man.
‘It is my promise that within the period I will hold sway as a president, griculture in Nigeria will compete favourably with that of the highly developed countries of the world and Nigeria will be the agricultural hub of the African countries. Our target is to make Nigeria self sufficient in food production,’ Chief Uzoma stated.
Chief Chukwuma while accepting the appointment expressed joy that he was the selected personality in the midst others in the South East to represent the national agricultural work force. He promised that he would use his resources and knowledge to see that the national body met its aims and objectives of boosting agricultural activities in the South-East and beyond.
He expressed optimism that agriculture would improve drastically better than what it was before. Chief Chukwuma said he would work together with the cooperative society to achieve self sufficiency in food production for the country.
‘All of us will work together to develop agriculture in Nigeria. Already, I’m building a tractor plant at the University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka, so that youths in that area will be well engaged in agriculture. It will benefit the students, graduates and the entire populace alike. I’m looking at diverse areas in agriculture including the manufacture of processing machines to make agriculture easy,’ Chief Chukwuma noted.
Another speaker at the event and a board member, HRH Eze Philip Ajomiwe from Abia State thanked the representatives of the five States president for choosing Chief Chukwuma “as from all angles the man who the cap fits” and also thanked the Federal government for what he described as the impetus to boost agricultural revolution. He noted that the private sector is of great importance to actualize the revolution.