By Onwukwe Ezeru, Abia
A frontline politician and the traditional prime minister of Ibeku Ancient Kingdom, Chief James Uche Akwukwaegbu, has urged the Federal Government to set up a commission that would handle agricultural loan from the Central Bank.
Akwukwaegbu, who was fielding questions from journalists during the flag-off of 2016 “IRI JI” in Ibeku ancient Kingdom, Umuahia, said that the idea of channeling agricultural loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria through the state governors to farmers should be discouraged.
He noted that governors apply the fund wrongly as they use it to settle party patronage, relations and friends who are no farmers thus robbing real farmers of the loan.
Akwukwaegbu maintained that if such commission was set up, it would manage the fund more efficiently than the state governors, adding that agriculture in the past was the mainstay of the nation’s economy and should not be allowed to die more so when the price of the oil has gone so low.
“Nigerians should go back to the farm and depend less on crude oil that will one day dry up” he advised .
In Ibeku Ancient kingdom, Chief Akwukwaegbu said that they have harmonized who fixes the date of new yam festival.
“We are now united and once the Ogurube fixes a date for new yam festival, it stands”.
Contrary to his enemies attack, Chief Akwukwaegbu said that his position as the Traditional Prime Minister of Ibeku Umuahia is Irrevocable unless the Ogurube Ibeku says otherwise.
“I functioned in this year’s breaking of New Yam Festival in Ibeku as the Traditional Prime Minister and so shall it be. Tradition cannot be used as a political tool by Ibeku PDP caucus to witch hunt others”.
Our correspondent reports that Ibeku youths, “IRI JI” monitoring groups, The Vigilante and Community heads paid solidarity visit and homage to Akwukwaegbu in his Palace at Amuzukwu during the ceremony which recorded hitch-free activities.
