Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has called for the establishment of agro based industries to boost farmers’ productivity considering the high rate of new entrance in the sector.
Speaking in Patani during a town-hall meeting with the people of Patani Local Government Area of the state, Okowa, stated that individuals should be encouraged to set up agro based industries in the country
“As a government, we will encourage individuals to set up agro-based industries in areas we have economics of scale,” the governor said.
“If we have more industries in relation to what we produce, it will help us to increase our production, preserve what we have produced and make it more acceptable to the consumers which will boost our socio-economic status as farmers,” the governor said.
The governor who commended the commitment of farmers to make Delta State the food basket of the nation, urged the farmers to organise themselves into cooperative societies to enable them benefit from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sponsored Anchor-borrowers programme.
He disclosed that the state did not benefit much from the programme because of low awareness, and called on the farmers to also, liaise with relevant agencies to ensure that they benefit from the programme and used the occasion to inform the people that the free child and maternal healthcare programme of his administration is on course.
“We have free maternal and healthcare programme for children under five, we have also launched Contributory Health Insurance Scheme that will capture all Deltans, the health of Deltans is of great concern to my administration and with the insurance scheme, there will be affordable and quality health care for our people,” Okowa said.
Answering questions as it concerns clock-in and clock-out biometric exercise for local government councils’ workers, the governor said, it was not a punitive measure but to ensure that only those who are paid salaries are true workers.
“It is not a punishment, it is not going to be forever but, if it is effective for three months, we will be able to identify true civil servants because, it will be difficult for you to work elsewhere and also, work in the civil service,” he said.
Mercy Enoch, Asaba
