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BY RICHARD DRASIMAKU
ARUA: WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2025
Bernard Atiku, a contestant for the Ayivu West constituency National Resistance Movement party flag bearer has received a rare endorsement from his opponent Fiona Onzima for introducing Cocoa as a cash crop to eradicate poverty in the constituency.
“Thank you Hon Atiku for bringing cocoa,” Ms Onzima said in front of a mammoth crowd at Aripezu church, just stone throw away from Atiku cocoa plantation.
It is not clear whether Ms Onzima was inspired to commend Atiku after seeing the plantation but promoting cocoa as a lucrative cash crop has been a cornerstone of Atiku’s campaign pitch to the voters.
Ms Onzima said what Atiku is doing is what a good leader should do. However, she regretted that Atiku is popularizing cocoa farming as a campaign point.
“Development projects like cocoa growing which my brother Hon Atiku has introduced should not be mixed with politics,” said Ms Onzima.
Atiku responded with a delightful laughter to Ms Onzima’s comments as the crowed sung his name.
He later reassured the people that the cocoa project will roll ahead with planned training for parish coordinators and nursery bed operators in the offing.
The seedlings, said Atiku, will be distributed free of charge to the farmers and that the market has already been secured from Russia where investors are ready to buy up to 500, 000 metric tons at sh50,000 a kilo.
He clarified that every parish will have its own nursery bed and appealed to the farmers to prepare their gardens.
To cocoa production, Atiku has added promotion of education and land security and pledged that he will work with the government to ensure rural electrification, roadnetwork and water supply is improved in the area.
Atiku and Ms Onzima are the two of the three candidates who have respected the NRM policy to hold joint campaign rallies.
The other candidate, incumbent John Lematia has dropped out of the joint campaigns without a clear reason and is going solo to search for votes.
Ms Onzima promised consultative leadership and added that issues of youth and women empowerment as well as improving health service delivery will form the priority for her in addition to the core functions of a Member of Parliament should the voters give her the mandate.
Michael Dramadri, a retired agriculture officer, lauded Atiiku and Ms Onzima for exhibiting maturity during their joint rallies and advised the voters to vote competence.
He said Ayivu West Constituency needs intensified economic activity, extension of the power connection to support cottage industries in the far flung areas of the constituency.
