The chairman of Obimo Farmers Association and the President of Izunwanne Obimo Multi Purpose Corporative Society, Mr Chamberlain Anenechukw Ugwuoke has called on the Executive Governor of Enugu State,Barr.Peter Ndubuisi Mbah to come to the aid of Obimo Community in Nsukka local Government Area of Enugu state by providing tractors and other farming equipments and inputs to improve the farming conditions of the farmers and ensure food security in the community and Enugu State.
Mr. Ugwuoke appreciated Enugu State Agricultural Development Programme, ENADEP for organizing training for Obimo Farmers few weeks ago. Addressing a 30- Man think-tank selected by izunwanne obimo to look into food insecurity in the Community, Mr Chamberlain Ugwuoke stated that it has become necessary now that rain has started in earnest to start discussing food security in Obimo.
Mr Ugwuoke noted that Obimo community people are predominantly farmers and a border town between Nsukka LGA and Uzo Uwani LGA. According to Mr.Ugwuoke, over the years the Obimo farmers cannot cultivate around their resident vicinities because of cows, goats, and other animals roaming the streets of the community.
Clarifying further the situation, he stated that the most worrisome is that fulani herders have occupied most of the farmlands with their cows, depriving Obimo farmers from going to their farms, thereby threating the livelihood of Obimo people.
He added that cows , goats and other animals sacrificed to a deity in the community whose Chief priest refused to worship because he is going to church have not helped matters stating that obimo farmers do not farm yam and cassava within the neighborhood anymore because those cows and goats eat anything planted around.
The only alternative to our farmers is to go very far away into the forest to plant such crops which as well are being threatened by monkeys, rabbits and rodents, and cows of the herders. Many Obimo elites at the meeting aired their views.
One of the sons of Obimo at the meeting, the Program Manager, Enugu Agricultural Development Programme (ENADEP) Prof Ogbonna Sam Onyeisi,mni thanked Mr.Ugwuoke for initiating the meeting.
According to Prof.Onyeisi, food security is a serious issue and a great concern of Enugu State and Federal Governments. Onyeisi stated that ENADEP, on her 2024 Pre-farming Season Sensitization for Enugu State farmers has visited Obimo on 20th April, 2024 and that the Sensitization is still going on across Local Governments on Enugu State for the purpose of improving food security.
Prof.Onyeisi assured Obimo people that Enugu State Governor will help them to improve food security. Ozo David Okolo, the Head of Ozo title holders in Obimo, appreciated the initiatives of Izunwanne Cooperative and their concerns for food security in Obimo. Ozo Okolo volunteers to liaise with other Ozo title holders to look into the issue of cows and goats roaming around the resident vicinity in Obimo.
Calling for urgent action, Venerable E.Agbo, the Vicar in Charge of St.Bartholomew (New Jerusalem) Anglican Church Obimo said that the roaming cows and goats used to enter the church building and usually destroy farmlands in church environment. Ven.
Agbo pleaded with the Obimo elites to do something regarding those cows and goats and to stop the worshipers of the deity from throwing live animals in the streets of the community. Mr.Augustine Ofili, Chief Security Officer of Enugu State College of Education (Tecnical), ESCET, talked about the need for Obimo people to find sustainable strategy to control the roaming of cows and goats. In Mr Ofili’s view, herders invasion of farmlands is a national issues and that Enugu State Government is formulating policies that will curtail the herders’ open grazing soon.
Other dignitaries at the meeting, includes, the Traditional Prime Minister of Obimo, Chief Joseph Sunday Ugwuoke, President General Obimo community, Chief Sunday Ezike, Ozo Godwin Eze, Dr Erastus Okoli, Barr Festus Ugwuoke, Engr. Ambrose Eze, the Chief Security Officer of Obimo, Mr.Stephen Ayogu and Chief Titus Dike. Earlier, Ozo Sunday Ogbuke has called the President of Izunwanne to excuse himself from the meeting but stated that he supported the initiative to prove food security in Obimo.
After much deliberation, the meeting delegated Ozo David Okolo, Ozo Godwin Eze, Chief Sunday Ezike (PG), Chief Joseph Ugwuoke (Onowu), Prof Ogbonna Sam Onyeisi (Ojemba) to liase with Mr.Chamberlain Ugwuoke, the President of Izunwanne Cooperative to meet the Ihikwere Agbor people, the homeplace of the diety and discuss how to eradicate the roaming of cows and goats in the streets of Obimo.
The aim of the meeting of Ihikwere people is for the Onyishi of Ihikwere who supposed to be the Chief Priest of the diety to proclaim that the worshipers should not throw cows and goats to the street of Obimo. The meeting urged the President of Izunwanne, Mr.Chamberlain Ugwuoke to call for another meeting soon to brief the leaders of the community.
