By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State said he has created over 80 percent of the 200,000 (about 160,000) jobs he promised residents of the state during his campaign for his present first term in office.
Speaking in Benin City while inspecting the delivery of mechanised farm equipment under the state’s Agripreneur programme, the Governor said he will continue to make efforts to make the people happy through investments in agriculture notwithstanding the distractions.
“For us in Edo State, we have a culture of agriculture and we are ready to bring it back as we have started to invest in the sector to empower our farmers.
“Distraction is coming from all sides but we will not be distracted as this administration can account for all the money spent, while those yet to be spent are intact in the bank,” he said.
Mr Obaseki said his administration will cultivate over 100,000 hectares of oil palm plantation in the state within the next three years and will latch onto agriculture to diversify and grow the state’s economy, attain food sufficiency, drive job creation and improve the lives of Edo people.
“In the last two years, we have not spent up to 40 percent of the amount needed to be spent on agriculture. We are fast tracking the construction and development of the College of Agriculture to train extension workers to support farmers and help them improve their yield.
“We have done a lot of land preparation; we will do more because we have started early. We would have a minimum of two cropping seasons for our grains this year.
“The state with its partners and investors is setting up the oil palm implementation office next month. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is giving us support of about N70 billion and in the next 2 to 3 years, we would be cultivating up to about 100,000 hectares of oil palm.”
Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security Programme, Mr Joe Okogie, thanked Mr Obaseki for the initiative, noting that the programme will help the farmers contribute their quota to the development of the state.
“These equipment were not here when we started our production last year; we went to as far as Kaduna and Kano to get these equipment, which include nine tractors, combined harvesters, boom sprayers, planters, among others,” he said.
A rice farmer from Agenebode, Mr Omoaka Paul, who was given a cheque of the profits he made during the course of the farming season, thanked the Obaseki-led administration for the initiative, which he said has put smiles on farmers faces.
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to open the borders as the closure is helping farmers make more profit.
Adedapo Adesanya