Farmers Helping Hands Members Shelves Protest, Engages Agriculture Ministry in Dialogue
— Ministry Urges Group to Join AFAN, Cooperative Societies
By Anselem Anokwute, Owerri
A planned protest by members of Farmers Helping Hands, Orlu Zone, was called off on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, following a successful dialogue with officials of the Imo State Ministry of Agriculture at the State Secretariat, Owerri.
The farmers, who had initially planned to demonstrate against what they described as government neglect and non-inclusion in agricultural support programmes, instead used the visit to seek collaboration with the ministry for improved access to farming inputs and incentives.
Addressing the group, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Chief Alexander Amobi Onwumere, commended the farmers for opting for dialogue rather than protest. He urged them to register with the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) or form cooperative societies to enable them to benefit from government agricultural programmes.
“The ministry is ready to support your members with seedlings, fertilizers, and other inputs,” Chief Onwumere assured. “However, direct financial assistance, cassava production Mechanised farming tools are not available at the moment. Farmers involved in animal husbandry such as poultry, snails, and piggery production can enroll in the World Bank-assisted programmes currently running in the state.”
Chief Onwumere further explained that federal government agricultural empowerment programmes are currently focused on youths between the ages of 18 and 35. He therefore encouraged the group to recruit more young people into their ranks in order to benefit fully from ongoing initiatives.
Despite the age disparity, the Permanent Secretary promised that the ministry would continue to involve the group in its agricultural policies and programmes to strengthen food security in the state.
Earlier, the Coordinator of Farmers Helping Hands, Orlu Zone, Comrade Onyekachi Alex Duru, expressed gratitude to Chief Onwumere for his understanding and intervention, which averted the planned protest.
He noted that the group’s demands include access to government agricultural inputs, training, and other forms of assistance to enable members to improve productivity as a visible group already registered membership with a verifiable Cooperative Society certificate.
Duru also appreciated the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, for his swift intervention in ensuring the group’s grievances were addressed through peaceful dialogue.
In his remarks, former Isu Lawmaker and member of the group, Chief Innocent Onyewuenyi, commended the Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Cosmos Maduba (Ode Ebube Na Isu), for his contributions to the Agricultural development of the state.
He appealed to the ministry to recognize the efforts of Farmers Helping Hands as a credible and organized farming group with traceable membership and structure, capable of contributing significantly to food production and sustainability in Imo State.
