GOV DICKSON TASKS NEW AGRIC DEV BOARD TO DIVERSIFY STATE’S ECONOMY BEYOND OIL AND GAS

GOV DICKSON TASKS NEW AGRIC DEV BOARD TO DIVERSIFY STATE’S ECONOMY BEYOND OIL AND GAS
A 12 member board of the Bayelsa State Agricultural Development Company Limited has been formally inaugurated with a mandate to diversify the state’s economy beyond oil and gas.Inaugurating the board at the Executive Council Chambers of Government House, Yenagoa, Governor Seriake Dickson said the company was incorporated by his administration not just to guarantee food sufficiency after the flood but to devise ways of creating value added chain in massive food production for local consumption and export.
To this end, Governor Dickson charged members of the board to develop a blueprint within the shortest possible time on how the state could be involved in food production particularly in crops such as cassava, plantain, banana and fisheries as well as establish large storage facilities that would be second to none in the world.Describing agriculture as dear to government in its restoration agenda, the Governor noted that if the Agricultural Firm succeeds Government would have made tremendous impact in stimulating the local economy and create job opportunities for the people.He remarked that Government had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a foreign technical partner for the cultivation and processing of cassava for local consumption and principally for export.
Bayelsa, according to the Governor is endowed with vast arable land to drive revolutionary agriculture in the state and expressed optimism that in the next one year, the Peremabiri Rice Farm will be resuscitated.“We are actually an agrarian people as much as we are fishermen, we also have vast expanse of land that can support massive investment in agriculture” Governor Dickson remarked.Expressing his administration’s desire to establish an equivalent of the Songhai Farms in the state, Governor Dickson noted that the Agricultural Company would have subsidiaries and a warehouse established in each Local Government area of the state. 
  He pointed out that the company is also expected to secure certification from international bodies for the state’s produce which would be bought off from local farmers.Air Vice Marshall Larry Koinyan (Rtd) is to serve as Group Chairman of the board while Izonebi Rodger Obubo is the Group Managing Director. Other members are, Reverend Otokolo Willie Dan, Dr Aziba Alaguo Seibofa, Professor Ebi Ngodigha and Mr Gilbert Adeh.The rest are, Dr Ebinimi Joe Ansa, Chief Ekpein Appah, Chris Alagoa, Dr Edward Spiff, Professor Steve Azaiki and President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Abiye Kuroyemieama.Responding, Group Chairman of the board, Rtd AVM Larry Koinyan assured Governor Dickson of their determination to work towards actualizing the vision of government in the Agricultural sector.
Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa state.