The Deputy Gorvernor of Imo State, Prof Placid Njoku has disclosed plans of the prosperity government led by Senator Hope Uzodinma to make agriculture the driving force of its intended industrial revolution.
The Deputy Governor made this disclosure while fielding questions from Newsmen, after he led the committee on agriculture development to inspect agricultural facilities in some parts of the state.
He said the tour was to give the committee set up by the governor and headed by him a first hand information on agricultural facilities in the state so as to know the best way to build on the foundation already on ground, positing that there will be no need to start afresh when the state has been in existence since 1976 and have wonderful foundation for growth laid by some progressives minded government of the long past.
Prof Njoku frowned seriously at the encroachment of government land especially in Nekede where by individuals connived with some dubious past government officials to take over government land and built personal properties on them and made it clear that the law on ownership of land and illegal occupation will take its place in the matter.
“Government is a continuum, so we will continue to adopt those foundational things that have been done for our state. We believe we can bring agriculture back to feed people of the state, as well as be used to drive industrial development of the state”.
“I don’t think the government that held sway in the state in recent past cared much about agriculture, starting from the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) to the Songhai farms that is supposed to be a beautiful agricultural facility for the state”.
“Everything is totally run down and worse still the land is very badly encroached on by citizens of the community whose forefathers freely donated the land to government and compensations were paid to them”.
Adding his voice, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Lambert Orisakwe said the governor made approval for the over 200, 000 Costa Rica palm seedlings to be transferred from pre nursery to nursery and then to the main plantation.
Also fielding questions from newsmen, the Commissioner for Entrepreneurship, Noble Atulegwu said he is in the committee to identify entrepreneurial opportunities for youths in the agricultural sector.
The deputy governor and the committee were conducted round facilities in ADP, Songhai and Small Holders Oil Palm Management Unit (SMU), managements of the areas where he found largely dilapidated agricultural facilities
Other members of the committee include; Commissioner for Livestock Development, Lady Obiageri Ajoku and Special Adviser to the Governor Strategy and Development.
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