New SWOFON  Executives Emerge in Ebonyi, Strengthen Commitment To Food Sufficiency.

By Oswald Agwu

New executives has emerged to oversee the activities of the Smallholder Women Farmers Organization in Nigeria, Ebonyi state branch, for the next two years.

They emerged in an election conducted Monday, October 28 at Geneza Hotel, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital.

The process produced Mrs Andrena Okwor as the State Coordinator and Mrs Ifeoma Chukwu as Secretary.

Other members of the executive include Dr. Nnenna Ibiam as Deputy Coordinator; Promise Nnaji as Assistant Secretary and Priscillia Oghalu as treasurer.

Patricia Oketa and Beatrice Nwambara were elected Financial Secretary and Public Relations Officer respectively, while the immediate past Coordinator, Chinyere Agbafor was appointed Ex-officio member.

In her acceptance speech, the new Coordinator, Okwor, commended her predecessor, Agbafor for her achievements for the organisation and pledged not only to sustain but improve upon them.

She solicited support from all members in the state to ensure that the organisation becomes stronger in her mission of ensuring food sufficiency through improved Agricultural practices.

Okwor added: "I cannot do it alone.
"We are leading this Organisation together; I am just one person.

"Let us join hands together to drive our core objective of ensuring food security in our dear state, Ebonyi, and Nigeria nation in general."

"As SWOFON members, we will continue to sustain our commitment towards food security in Nigeria, in spite of all odds."

The election was supervised by Participatory Development Alternatives, a Civil Society Organisation which has been mentoring the women farmers through her projects in the state supported by Actionaid-Nigeria.

Laying the background for the election, the Program Officer, PDA, Ugochi Joseph, admonished the women to show example of democratic principles by electing those they were sure would be committed to the progress of the Organisation.

"You know yourselves, and you know how you have been electing your leaders.

"The growth and progress of the organisation should be paramount as you make your choices" Joseph admonished.