MY COVENANT
SERIES 4
A BLUE PRINT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOPAMURO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
AGRICULTURE
BY : OLOKE JESSE ABAYOMI
A CHAIRMANSHIP ASPIRANT FOR MOPAMURO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
IN 1977, the head of state then, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, launched operation feed the Nation. His intention then was to divert the economy and limit our over reliance on crude oil as the major source of income.
The way to a man’s heart is his stomach, so said our elders. Definitely, the way towards self reliant is self provisions of food and agricultural products in a nation.
Before, the discovery of crude oil in 1958 in Nigeria, what made Nigeria as we know it today was agriculture. Infact, the money used in oil exploration and the building of the only existing refineries till date was revenue from the sale of agricultural products like, cocoa from the west, rubber from the mid west, palm products from the east, cotton and groundnut from the north etc.
Gen. Obasanjo, saw a future in which oil will not be able to hold or provide for the needs of the nation again, indeed, the time had stroll in as predicted. Alternative to crude oil are daily being discovered.
His excellency, Alh. Yahaya Bello, in his blue prints published in 2014 while seeking to be made APC governorship candidate, promised to invest in agriculture if elected. He did exactly that, by establishing and constructing one of the largest rice mill in the country.
Not only that, he invested heavily in procurement of implements for the productions of paddy rice.
He also established a cassava village in osara with the recent application for a loan from ADB to finance a cassava treatment plant. All these proactiveness is from a true leader who can peep into the future.
I, oloke Jesse Abayomi if elected to be the executive chairman of mopamuro local government area by the Grace of God, will toe the line of His excellency, GYB, in creating a revolution in the agricultural sector of my LGA.
FOR INSTANCE :
1. The LGA farm will be revitalize by planting cassava, beniseed, and ginger on it on a large scale.
2. Due to the nearness of mopamuro to ejiba where the state rice mill is sited, production of rice, particularly, the upland rice, will be encouraged to supply the rice mill. It is unfortunate that virtually all the ploughing machine shared out to farmers to produce rice have been sold to hausas in a give away prices, who in turn ship them to sokoto, kebbi, Kano and zamfara for producing rice and cereals and in the process negate the good intentions of the government.
As the chairman of my LGA, no farm Inpliments shall be sold out as is the case now, not even the fertilizers will be allowed be sold out to hausas as being done right now. Rather, the extension farm workers will be saddled with training farmers how to use the items. Demonstration farms are created for such purposes anyway.
3. A farm house will be built on the LGA farm together with other agricultural field stores. No agricultural staff will seat in the office doing nothing.
4. Tractors will be procured strictly for the LGA farm and other mechineries.
Other agricultural units like piggery poultry, and fish ponds will be built to serve as income to the LGA.
5. ALL THE LGA STAFF shall be encouraged to own farms. Food for all campaign shall be launched.
Now, I know that, someone reading this blue print will ask 2 questions which I expected:
1. Where will he get the money from?
2. Fulani herdsmen will not allow it to succeed.
However, I will always answer these questions with questions :
1. Where did all these government officials get the money they use in establishing there’s from?
Priority, will and passion are the key words.
2. Why also are Fulani herdsmen not entering their farms too?
Persistency in a bid to protect their investment has been the reason why, there’s are safe from treesspasses.
The fulani herdsmen shall be engaged and involved in guarding our farms. Didn’t our elders say, it’s a thief that is engaged to protect goods against being stolen. It’s all about communication and building inter personal relationship base on mutual understanding.
Finally, training and seminars shall be the hallmark of my agricultural policies.
The time for weariness and apathy to government duties shall be minimize.
THE TIME IS NOW to build a better LGA where everybody have a stake.
OLOKE JESSE ABAYOMI remains the right man for the job.
Oke Oke nio.
MY NEXT PUBLICATION SHALL BE ON DEVELOPMENT OF THE LGA. KEEP A DATE WITH ME!!!
OLOKE JESSE ABAYOMI IS ONE OF THE ASPIRANTS FOR THE CHAIRMANSHIP POSITION OF MOPAMURO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KOGI STATE.