ENCOMIUMS IN AVALANCHE AS IKPEAZU’S ACHIEVEMENTS SPEAK (Part2)

 
#AbiaOnline
It will not amount to an
overstatement when stated that Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu has practically rejigged all the ailing and comatose spheres of God’s own State, that today there are smiles of renewed hope on the faces Abians. The gargantuan achievements is hinged on the 5 pillars of the administration viz,
Agriculture.
AGRICULTURE
This is a critical sector in the Socio-economic life of the nation, highly indispensable considering the fact that up to 70% of the nation’s population are actively engaged and eke a livelihood through it. It is also a veritable source of raw materials for our industries hence it can rightly be said that “no farmer no nation”. It is rather saddening that the advent of crude oil in the early 1960s led to the utter neglect of this very important sector and fueled systemic corruption as though the discovery of oil is a cursed blessing. The back and forth of oil prices in the international market and the slides in the year 2015 to the ebb of $28 per barrel made it imperative for us as a nation to speedily resort to agriculture as a reliable avenue to stabilize our foreign exchange earnings.
The Governor Okezie Victor Ikpeazu’s administration in Abia has deemed Agriculture as a workable means of hastily diversifying from over-dependance on crude, in order to pull the State’s economy from the woods.
Hence, the oil palm revolution of the present administration is on track and only comparable to the Late Dee Sam Mbakwe era of the then old Imo state. The emphasis on oil palm stems from the fact that as at the year 2015, palm oil was better priced in the global market than crude oil. This justifies why the State, having looked at its competitive advantage through the Agric ministry embarked on a massive palm plantation with over 4,000,000 tenera species seedling grown, planted and sold across the state to help replace the old unproductive species. The ministry targets to hit 7.5 million seedlings before the end of 2020, a win-win situation where the State may likely not rely solely on federation account to run.
The government of the day has also made very significant effort in increasing the rice production capacity, targeted at meeting local consumption demands and for exports, hence the popularized “Abia Rice” brand. In addition, the abandoned Igu Dam is been rebuilt to make it possible for all year rice production in the State.
The good news did not end there as the ministry of Agriculture for the first time, embarked on a large scale mushroom production, what seemed as an experiment initially, is now a success story as Abians are now patronising it, moreover, it’s in tune with Governor Ikpeazu’s self sustenance mantra for each of the ministries.
The Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s result-driven administration has also made extensive investment in poultry and fish production, the Nsulu poultry cluster is a laudable brainchild of this administration, admirably, the phase 1 of 100 poultry pens of 2000 birds is now on stream. With arrangements in top gear to replicate similar farms across the two other senatorial zones of Abia North and South of the State. The State Government is also partnering with the Bank Of Industry and the Federal Government in increasing egg production.
Abia State also has comparative advantages in cashew and cocoa production and the state government has made tremendous effort in funding commercial Agriculture through grants and loans made accessible to farmers in order to create wealth for the State as there is also plans in the pipeline to establish processing plants for both in the State.
The Governor Okezie Ikpeazu led Government through the Agric ministry has also procured mechanized farming equipments being leased to Abia farmers for seamless all year round farmland cultivation at affordable rates.
Fertilizers are critical in ensuring bumper harvests as such, subsidized fertilizers to the State farmers every farming season is now a reoccurring decimal coupled with extension services to enlighten farmers on the best and newest ways to boost crop yields.
In addition, following the payment of FADAMA 3, counterpart funds, no less than 300 young Abia farmers benefitted from N2.5 million Naira individual grant been part of the Farmpreneur project of the World Bank.
With these result yielding efforts and reforms targeted at improving Agriculture in the State increasing wealth, thus bettering the lives of Abians, who still in awe over the inflow of awards and recognition into Governor Ikpeazu’s kitty?