RETIREED POLICE OFFICER URGES RETIREES TO EMBRACE FARMING
There are huge benefits in Farming—Chief Okaegwu
By Amos Chukwuekwu
A retired police officer and a renowned traditional chief in Ekwuoma in Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State, Chief Benjamin Okaegwu has urged retirees in the State to embrace farming as a means of improving the standard of living in their family.
He gave the advice during the week while taking Ika Weekly Newspaper reporter round his farm, saying that he went into farming since he retired as a police officer in 2021.
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Chief Okaegwu (Ozoma of Ekwuoma) disclosed that though it has not been easy been a farmer, saying that he employed the services of young men to carry out most of his farming work, and eventually pay them for their good services rendered.
He added that farming is tough, but said there is a lot of profit and benefit in farming business, saying that with the state of the economy, one must not put all his/her eggs in one basket.
According to him, “I started framing on this farm land early this year (February), and now, I have been greatly favoured with bumper harvest; I am grateful to my God for His mercy and blessing”, he prayed.
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The retired police officer disclosed that his major crops in his farm are cassava and yam. He said recently he harvested his yam tubers in abundance, saying that with the assistance of God and that of his little son, he was able to have a fruitful harvest.
He affirmed that he will sell some number of the yam tubers to recover the money he spent on the farm, hinting that the remaining ones will be kept in his house for family consumption.
Continuing, Chief Okaegwu stated that he still has seed yams that will be harvested by November, saying that he will use them for next year’s planting season.
He averred that the seed yams are also part of his gains from this year’s planting season, stressing that he has a very large farm land that he will use for 2025 planting season.
He revealed that as the first son of his late father, he inherited about ten plots of land, assuring that he will surely make good use of it for the good of his family members.
While appreciating the Delta State Government for making farming easy for farmers in the State, Chief Okaegwu opined that the government recently came to Ekwuoma to distribute fertilizers, one week old chicks, maize seeds, among others, to farmers, but said the items were given to wrong people, and not the true farmers.
He reiterated that the true farmers were neglected saying that they never received any of the distributed agricultural items, but said he is however grateful to the government for their good deed.
He used the opportunity to appeal to the state government to reach out to the true farmers through a genuine process and ensure that they receive their fertilizers and other farming items.
In his words “ Look at my farm, very vast and large; I am farming on this vast farm land with my pension and I also borrowed money to ensure that I produce and have plenty harvest”, he stated.
In his advice, Chief Okaegwu enjoined his fellow retirees in Delta State to engage in farming as enterprising venture, saying that their pension will not be sufficient to take care of their needs in their families.