By Onomiguren Agbamu
The Delta State chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria,( AFAN), has described the late Executive Assistant to the Governor on Agriculture ( Coconut Development), Chief Aneke lfemeni as very passionate about agriculture
Speaking through it’s State Chairman, Sir Richard Odutule Asenime, in a condolence message , Delta AFAN noted that lfemeni,s love for agriculture prompted him to set up a thriving fish farm in Onicha Ukwuani, his hometown in Ndokwa West Local government, thus earning him membership of the Fish Farmers Association of Nigeria , and consequently, member of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria ( AFAN,)
Sir Odutule Asenime, recalled that the late lfemeni was appointed Senior Special Assistant on Agriculture , in 2015, by immediate past Governor Senator Dr lfeanyi Okowa
The Delta AFAN Chairman also stated that in 2018 as SSA Agriculture , lfemeni was one of the officers that supervised the election into office, of the present AFAN executive committee, while in 2020, he served on the committee with AFAN and some members of the Board of Delta Agric and Rural Development Agency ( DARDA) that drew up an empowerment programme termed Farmers Support Programme ( FSP), which offered assistance mainly to small scale farmers with inputs
Recalling also that the late lfemeni , the pioneer Majority leader of the State House of Assembly, allowed the use of a portion of the bungalow that served as his private office for use as Delta AFAN Secretariat , Sir Asenime revealed that in 2021, late lfemeni, coordinated the formation of the Coconut Farmers Association whose activities he painstakingly nurtured, this leading to the State government establishing the Coconut department and appointed him as pioneer General Manager, a position he held until his untimely death recently
Said the Delta AFAN Chairman: “it was with rude shock we at the All Farmers Association of Nigeria ( AFAN), received the sad news of the untimely death of one of our own who was so passionate about agricultural development , Chief Aneke lfemeni. Indeed , lfemeni,s passion blazed the trail for many of the successes we have so far recorded in AFAN. He played quite huge pivotal roles in ensuring the growth of coconut , fish , and even oil palm, production in Delta State . He lived and breathed agriculture”
While commiserating with the lfemeni family of Onicha Ukwuani in Ndokwa west , and the agricultural community in the state , to bear the irreparable loss of the departed community leader and agricultural czar, Sir Richard Asenime prayed God for the peaceful repose of lfemeni,s soul
