The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has resolved to settle the crisis rocking the Edo chapter of the association.
At a meeting convened in Benin on Tuesday, Harrison Okpamen, Chairman of the Ad hoc committee set up to midwife the conciliation, appealed to all aggrieved parties to sheathe their swords and allow peace to reign.
Okpamen urged all factions in the chapter to come together and form a formidable force that would benefit the members.
Many opportunities, he said, had been lost by members as a result of the lingering rancour.
“AFAN is a big association and we cannot allow it to be destroyed. AFAN Edo cannot afford to lose benefits again.
“Welfare of members should be our priority as we definitely need support from government and donor agencies to improve farming.
“To achieve this, we will need to jettison our ego and remain selfless in our services,” he said.
The chairman of the reconciliatory committee said the committee had a limited time to settle the dispute and put in place a new executive council that would work for all.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Peter Aikhumobhogbe, advised the committee to engage leaders of all factions in their reconciliatory move.
AFAN, the permanent secretary, said must be strong or else members would remain to loose many things.
He noted that no matter the settlement, members would still need to tolerate one another for there was nobody without his/her weakness.