Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said that diversifying the economy of the State has become inevitable given the pressing need to solve the problem of food shortages in the State, while also providing jobs for the teeming mass of the State’s unemployed.
It is in a bid to address these shortages and create employment in the agricultural sector that his administration has opted to take a critical look at the Songhai Integrated Farms located in Bunu Tai, in the Tai Local Government Area of the State and started by former Governor Chibuike Amaechi with a view to revatilizing it.
Fubara expressed the view that if the problem associated with food shortages were to be tackled with good intent and purpose, about 40 to 50 percent of current economic hardship plaguing the country and its people would have been eliminated.
In his remarks at the inauguration of the task force saddled with the responsibility of supervising the revitalization of Songhai Integrated Farms, at the Government House in Port Harcourt earlier today, Wednesday, September 25, the Governor explained that it took him time to approve the constitution of the task force being inaugurated because of the ugly experience with the previous group that showed such interest.
According to him, a process was initiated and driven halfway into the handing over of Songhai Farms on concession to an interested partner who later showed a total lack of the needed capacity to undertake such a task.
He said: “As a matter of fact, if some of you could remember, we even conceded the place to an investor who came in after he had made his presentation, and we, believing that he had the capacity, said okay to him, and we had already signed up.
“But something happened. He came back to tell us that he wanted us to give him a N5bn bank guarantee. We then asked him, why? If we have N5bn, why do we need you to come and even revitalize Songhai Farms? We would have put that N5billion there ourselves. For that reason, we cancelled that arrangement.”
The task force, headed by Mr. Biedima Oliver, is partnered by Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited.
Other members of the task force are the Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Victor Kii; Commissioner for Finance, Emmanuel Frank-Fubara; Ayebaesin Beredugo and Mr Maurice Ogolo.
Fubara said with two separate companies coming together to indicate interest and given the assurance of having the needed capacity to drive the process, he is optimistic that this time around, the expectations of his government with regard to the Rivers Songhai Farm would be met.
Harping on the expectation of the people who want to see the Songhai Farms back on stream on a sustainable basis, the Rivers’ Governor assured that his administration would see the Songhai project actualised within its lifespan.
“We want to see food sufficiency, because we know when Songhai Farms comes on stream, there will be food, which is one of the problems we are having in the country. If we are able to tackle the issue of food, 40 to 50 percent of our problem will be solved,” the Governor said.
Governor Fubara, however, warned that although he believes in the presentation made by the group and has taken their assurance to heart, he would not tolerate a repeat of what happened before.
Said the Governor: “I hope your story will not be (end) halfway too. I hope you have the capacity and all the technical knowhow to handle it. It is not after we have finished inaugurating the task force, you will come back to tell us that you need $2million. If we have $2million, we won’t need you. We will invest it by ourselves.”
But lauding the capacity of the Chairman of the task force, Biedima Oliver who, incidentally, was one of the persons that convinced the then Amaechi Administration to develop the Songhai Farm, and had worked with the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), to manage the project, Fubara said:
“He knows and understands the workings of Songhai, and now that we are making you the chairman of the task force, we want to believe that you will make that place come back to life.
“I don’t have any doubt in your capacity. A few things you’ve touched, you turned them to gold. Please, bring it back to what we used to see in Songhai. Bring it back with the help of your committee.”
The Governor assured that his administration would remain committed to providing all the necessary support that they may require to make their assignment a success, adding:
“So, I hereby inaugurate you. Your task is very simple: do everything within your powers and with our support to make sure that Songhai becomes operational to the benefit, not just the people of Tai, but to the entire Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole.”
In his acceptance speech, Oliver expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the opportunity and confidence reposed in them to revive Songhai Farms, assuring that he and his team would deliver the expected goal on Songhai Farms, and would do so on time and on target as well, so that the good people of Rivers State would be happy to benefit from such a huge investment.
