The event took place on the 30th of May 2008 in the Oko ADP premises in Benin City. Many participants arrived very early in order to have a good place to sit down. To be precise, most farmers came in at about 8.00am.
At about 10.22am, the venue was filled to capacity with about 1, 000 farmers in attendance. We were about a hundred that came from our local government area; and 21 of them were members of Gofta farms.
In the process of waiting for the governor to arrive, some invited cultural troupes were in hand to thrill the audience. Among them was the Ugbabonerinmwin of Esanland, the Urhuedo theatre group, there was another cultural group from Auchi that also make the audience feel at home as the participants await the executive governor of Edo State.
At about 12.06pmor there about, the audiences begin to loose patience in waiting for the governor as the occasion was officially schedule for 10.00am prompt. By 2.22pm, the governor Prof. Osarhiemen Osunbor arrived with his entourage; after which he immediately swing into action by addressing the farmers present and planting the first fruit in the farm.
What interest the fadama III farmers present in that occasion was the assurance of government support for the fadama III farmers by paying their counterpart fund of the money as requested by the federal government who sit for the Nigerian farmers in the World Bank project. Governor Osarhiemen Osunbor told the farmers that the government has paid N56, 000,000= (fifty six million naira only) on this ground, the fadama III farmers in Edo State should be expected to benefit from this programme when it finally starts off.
The governor after declaring the farming season open left the scene at about 2.56pm. After which Dr. Okperhie took over. The president of all farmers association of Nigeria Dr. Okperhie said that the farming material the government brought for the participating farmers will only be given to only the members of all farmers association (AFAM) This erupt annoyance in the mind of other farmers present who do not belong to AFAM. They tried to make him understand that those materials are brought to all farmers; but he refuse to reason with them. In the process of making it happen the way he wants it, he decided to use delay tactice. Unfortunately for him, this led the audience to mob. As they have been present since 8.00am till about 5.01pm when this incidence happened. The farmers; now angry mob gather in a noisy way round the materials and started to carry at will, what ever they can lay their hand on without the control of anyone. Some of the ADP staffs, who wanted to offer helping hand in calming the situation, were thrown away by the now angry mob.
Dr. Okperhie was confused over his act of no leadership quality he has displayed. I think he has learned a lesson to be generous to all kind of persons even if they are not farmers. If I were him, I might have learned here to accommodate all kind of people; no matter the tribe or language. I also want him to learn here that for all farmers and other registered Society and associations to work with AFAM, it should have the modality, strength, capability and enough room to accommodate these ones. They must also be given a sense of belonging in the scheme of things. Realizing that they are already autonomous body. Thereby not depriving any one by using the presidential position to chaise them from benefiting as farmers from government good gestures. But to realize that in section 34(1) of it, every individual(s) (legitimate citizen of Nigeria) is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person or group.
And that also in section 38 of the 1999 constitution, all Nigerians citizen has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. Base on this, Gofta executives will never allow any group, organization, association or individual(s) no matter how strong or popular he is to victimize any body hiding under the umbrella of goftaworld, to benefit from the government good gestures
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