In a bold move to fight rural poverty and boost local food production, Chukwuma Odii, the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in Ebonyi State, has launched a N150 million empowerment initiative for his native Isuachara community in Onicha Local Government Area.
Speaking during a grand civic reception held in his honour, Odii announced that 15 individuals—three from each of the five kindreds—will be trained in modern agricultural practices and subsequently receive N1 million each to kickstart agribusiness ventures.
The initiative, he said, was borne out of the community’s strong agricultural roots and the urgent need to transition into more sustainable and profitable farming methods. Odii pledged that the program would be an annual affair, rotating among beneficiaries across the kindreds.
“Our people are industrious and predominantly farmers,” he stated. “We must invest in what they do best—agriculture—so they can do it better.”
In addition to the agricultural scheme, Odii contributed N20 million towards Isuachara’s ongoing N300 million Town Hall project, assuring further support pending transparent use of funds.
The event also saw Odii honoured with the chieftaincy title of “Omeziriobodo 1 of Isuachara,” alongside six other distinguished sons of the soil. The National Chairman of the Isuachara Development Union, Emmanuel Ogudu, hailed the gesture as one of transformative impact, noting it exemplifies Odii’s unwavering commitment to community development.
Chairman of the occasion, Professor Ogbonna Ogbu, expressed optimism that the annual celebration of Isuachara Day in 2025 will showcase even greater unity and progress within the community, propelled by such visionary acts of generosity.
