ITEM Development Association Delegation Visits Abia Agriculture Commissioner, Calls for Infrastructure Revival and Support for Otti’s Agricultural Reforms

The Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture in Abia State, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze, FCIB, has assured the people of Item community of government’s commitment to agricultural revival and rural infrastructure development as he received a high-powered delegation from the Umuahia Branch of the Item Development Association (IDA) at his office.

The delegation, led by the IDA Umuahia Branch Chairman, Surveyor Ralph Owo, visited to felicitate with Dr. Agbaeze on his appointment while reaffirming their support for his leadership and the agricultural transformation agenda of Governor Alex Chioma Otti.

During the visit, the group presented pressing community needs, particularly the rehabilitation of key farm and feeder roads, with emphasis on the Amaokwe-Akanu-Okai-Akaeze road.

According to them, the road network is crucial to agricultural productivity, ease of mobility, and the economic sustainability of the farming population.

They further appealed for the revitalization of the abandoned Veterinary Clinic and the Abia Golden Chicken Farm in Okoko Item. The delegation stressed that these facilities, if restored, would not only boost agricultural output but also generate employment opportunities for youths, positioning Item as a stronger hub in Abia’s food value chain.

Responding, Dr. Agbaeze expressed gratitude to the delegation for their solidarity and pledged that the state government, under Governor Otti, is already working on measures to address the highlighted concerns. He reiterated his commitment to the welfare of farmers, stressing that agriculture remains at the heart of Abia’s development blueprint.

Beyond agriculture, the Commissioner also urged the people of Item and Abians at large to take part in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, noting that active civic participation is a vital instrument for sustaining development and ensuring good governance.

The delegation included notable sons of Item, among them Super High Chief Kingsley Ogba Nwokoro (Ofiaukwu Item), Chief Emmanuel Igwe, and Comrade Sunny Ogele, who collectively underscored the community’s readiness to partner with government in the pursuit of lasting development.