Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has tasked Rivers people, especially women, to venture into agriculture in order to mitigate the impact of high cost of living and feed the State.
This is as he maintained that agriculture will be accorded top priority in 2025 budget to achieve the agriculture policies of the government for the people of the State.
Governor Fubara spoke when he received Rivers State women under the aegis of Women in Farming and Agro Allied Support Network (WIFAASN) on solidarity visit at Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday.
Represented by the Rivers State Head of Service, Dr George Nweake, Governor Fubara noted his administration’s agricultural policies geared towards ameliorating the plight of the citizens which are waiting for implementation.
He noted that the agriculture policies of his administration are fashioned in a way that merit will be accorded top priority, as it abhors portfolio recognition.
He said, “The agriculture policies of the government have already been perfected, waiting for the time of execution and implementation.
“The Governor has said it that, that is the main target of next year’s budget: agriculture. But we will not give it to people who don’t have farms. We will not deal with portfolio farmers. Those that will come with jackets are not the farmers we are looking for.
“We will not throw it in the air for the fastest person to catch it. No. If the best person in farming is a lame person, he will get it. Even if a sprinter is there, the sprinter will not be able to reach it. We are going to do things that will have a human face,” he added.
The Governor, who recalled the enormous agriculture potential and produce that abound in the State, and how they are being neglected, sued for a change of heart among the people by keying into farming to catch up with the reality of the times and ensure food security.
This, he noted, is also in line with the Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Initiative pet projects: “Agricultural Support Programme” and “Every Home a Garden”, aimed at supporting women farmers nationwide to strengthen the agricultural sector of the economy.
He said, “Before now, this our place, Rivers and Bayelsa, we were known for oil palm production, which is rooted in agriculture. Every part of Rivers State supports that and each of us had palm fruits in our places, and that has been neglected over the years.
“We also have different agricultural products which thrive very well in Rivers State. If you talk of fishing, I think almost every local government area have rivers where they fish. We also have every farm produce and livestock which, over the years, we have neglected.
“Again, there was a research done about ‘Rivers State Without Petroleum’, and we see that the Abua and Ahoada-West areas are noted for fruits. We have fruits everywhere, but their fruits are unique. You talk of plantain: Etche, Omoku are noted for plantain, but they are not in the market.
“So, I am happy that you have come to understand that the way forward is for us to first take agriculture seriously, and then, the rest will be history; Rivers State will be transformed.
“Imagine a situation where every person here can produce one bag of garri. The impact it will have in our nation will be huge.
“You are all aware that there is even a project by the Federal Government, the pet project of Her Excellency, the Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu geared towards women having their own gardens to support women farmers nationwide to strengthen the agriculture sector of the economy. I urge you to key into the initiative.”
He commended members of the organization for their resolve to venture into farming and ensure food sufficiency in the State, and urged them to put their house in order and reach out to the Ministry of Agriculture to incorporate them into the government’s agriculture initiative.
Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr Victor Kii, thanked members of the organization for the visit, noting that it demonstrates their commitment and dedication to the welfare of the State.
Kii, who noted that the Governor is working assiduously to ensure the development of the State’s agricultural sector, hinted that it is for this reason that the Governor recently approved the state’s participation in the special Agro Processing Zone Project, which will commence soon.
He asserted that, “A lot of you are aware of the policy plan of His Excellency, and in terms of agriculture, at different fora, he has continuously insisted that agriculture is one of his focus areas.
“His Excellency is working tirelessly to ensure that the agriculture sector is developed. A lot of you are aware that quite recently, His Excellency approved that the State should participate in the special Agro Processing Zone Project which is going to kick off very soon.
“And you know that the delegation from the African Development Bank and the Federal Government had been in the State to access the project site. So, it shows that this is a government that has the interest of the people at heart in terms of agriculture,” he said.
The State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr Roseline Adawari Uranta, noted the concerns of the Governor, his Deputy and wife of the Governor to the plight of Rivers people, emphasizing that it is against this backdrop that the Governor has prioritized agriculture as well as health and education in his administration.
She noted the concerns of the women over the high cost of living as critical stakeholders in the family, and however, urged them to always put the Governor and his administration in their prayers to enable him succeed.
In her remarks, National Coordinator of Women in Farming and Agro Allied Support Network (WIFAASN), Mrs Glory Coker, said their visit is to intimate the Governor on their desire to go into mechanized farming to ensure food sufficiency in the State.
She said the move will in no small measure reduce the cost of living experienced in the State, and solicited government assistance to achieve set goals.
She said, “We are already farmers, but we want to go into mechanized farming in the State to make sure that if egg is N5,000 in the market, we want to bring it down to N2,500. If garri is N5,000 in the market, we want to bring it down to N1,200. So, we want to go into farming, and by the support of the government, we know that Rivers women are going to make it.
“We want the Governor to support us. If it is garri, we want him to give us garri processing machine. We need fertilizer. We need seedlings,” she added.
Also speaking, the State Coordinator of the Women in Farming and Agro Allied Support Network (WIFAASN), Mrs. Ihuoma Eze, explained that the state chapter of the organization will be launched on Saturday, July 20, 2024, and solicited for logistics support to ensure the success of the programme.