All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Benue chapter, on Friday, elected new state officials to run the affairs of the association.

Declaring the result in Makurdi, the electoral committee chairman, James Aloho, said all 30 candidates were returned unopposed.

Mr Aloho, who is the state chairman of the Nigeria Association of Small Scale Industries (NASSI), said all the positions were zoned across the three senatorial districts.

He declared Ernest Atoji as the new state chairman, John Vor, deputy chairman, Godwin Timiun, secretary, Benedict Utso, treasurer, and Abraham Mee, financial secretary.

Also elected were Iorkohol Ijir, organising secretary, and Geoffrey Iorvenda, legal adviser, amongst others.

Farouk Mudi, national president, AFAN, who observed the election, commended the state branch for conducting a successful election.

Mr Mudi advised the newly elected officials to work together for the association to be strong, formidable and reliable to return the state to her agricultural glory days.

The national president, who was represented by the national secretary, Yunusa Halidu, said all members of the association must be registered for effective and efficient coordination.

He said AFAN was fighting a common cause; therefore, it needed all farmers to be united in order to benefit from all government interventions.

Mr Mudi added that all members were free to belong to any political party or religion of their choice, but within the association, they must be apolitical.

Also, Gov. Hyacinth Alia said his administration was determined to support Benue farmers to succeed.

Represented by Danjuma Adejo, technical adviser on agriculture, Mr Alia urged the new leadership to take advantage of the available government interventions for improved output.

He described AFAN as a major stakeholder in the agriculture sector and promised to make farmers in the state millionaires and billionaires.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Abel Owoicho, the transition committee chairman, said all AFAN members in the state were now registered.

Mr Owoicho said the state made history, as the Benue South Senatorial District has produced the state chairman of the association for the first time.

The highlight of the event was the swearing-in of the newly elected officials.

(NAN)