Rivers’ governor lauds Ogbeh for insulating agric from politics

Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike

Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has lauded the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh for displaying maturity by ensuring that the issues of food production are insulated from politics. He said this in his welcome address at the 42^nd National Council on Agriculture meeting held at Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

He said both the minister of agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe and the minister of state for agriculture, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri were doing well in repositioning the sector. 

 The governor noted that the country needed to go back to operating an agrarian economy, which had been abandoned for a long time for crude oil which had taken the country to a level of low returns, in her earnings, adding that “great policies and strategies will be created to take back the country to the agrarian spot it used to occupy to further create employment, wealth and food security in the country, most especially for the youths who need to provide for their families.”  

On the development of agriculture in Rivers State, Wike said that the state government was reviewing its agricultural policies and programs to channel its funds to the right projects which would help boost the country’s agricultural production, noted that the State Government would take full advantage of the Federal Government’s agriculture initiatives, including the Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme and the Anchor Borrowers Programme to empower its farmers and youths.

He noted that investments in agriculture would help the nation tackle youth unemployment, reduce violent crimes, and restore peace and ensure sustainable development of the country. 

He announced that his administration was developing a public- private partnership model to enhance the development of agriculture. “We are developing a cassava factory to improve the commercial farming of the product. We are also working with a private company to revive our rubber factory”.

 He said that his administration was working with the Rivers State University to revive the College of Agriculture  for the training of agricultural professionals and that the state government would collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to improve key aspects of the state’s agricultural sector.

The minister of agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh advised that issues of agriculture must be placed above politics in the overall interest of the country and called for the expansion of research in the agriculture sector for the improvement of food production.

 The minister, who noted that Rivers State had the potentials to be a major source of fish for the entire country promised that the Federal Government would ensure that farmers get the required credit for commercial farming.

He said that “continuous investment by state and federal governments is the sure way to reposition the country's economy, which is why agriculture in Nigeria must be approached through a holistic and universal approach and not viewed as just federal government issue: states must be involved by making adequate budgetary provisions; such as providing machinery for agriculture; clearing  land  and implement initiatives that will make Nigeria self sufficient in production of food staples such as grains and tubers; educate farmers on all aspect of food production from land management, access to improved seeds, harvesting and processing; preservation and value addition to produce commodity to decrease post harvest losses; marketing of commodities and access to finance.”

He noted that those planning for agriculture must take cognizance of the principle that no country can develop in isolation, which is why Nigeria is a party to continental agreements like the Malabo Declaration, Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) and the United Nation (UN) Charter, stating that likewise, states should take a cue to partner with federal government to implement initiatives aimed at strengthening the sector in Nigeria.

Also speaking on the occasion, Minister of State, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, stated that the Federal Government was treating agriculture as a business through public- private initiatives, assuring that government would make use of the favorable policies to move the country’s agriculture forward to creating wealth and job opportunities.

The chairman committee on Agriculture, Rivers state House of Assembly said that the sector has played a key role in the development of other nations, and that government and private sector must be ready to galvanize it for competitiveness, adding “Financial institution should promote and support farmers and there should be a colossal energy to move agriculture to the next level.” 

Chairman Senate Committee on Agriculture, Senator Theodore Orji, said that agriculture is the sure way to go and if committed Nigeria will go places, as the country has all that is required to take her to the next level. 

FoodFarmNews further spoke with Mr. Iquanto Asukpa,a farmer who tasked  government to effectively  execute its policies to meet up with the needs of the farmers at the grassroots,  lamented that the government had not made agriculture easy for the grassroot farmers, as they have not been able to meet with the challenges faced by them  in terms of access to loans from the banks adding  that if the basic needs of producers could be met, Nigeria would be food secured.