Abia State governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, on Thursday ordered all members of the state executive council to start farming. He made this known at the quarterly press conference on the activities of his administration, saying that the agricultural revolution initiative of his administration entails that farming must be embraced by those in government.
“All members of the executive council will engage in farming,” he emphasized. However Governor Ikpeazu did not specify if any sanction awaits any commissioner that failed to heed the directive to own a farm.
The governor explained that it was necessary for government to live by example and practice what it preaches thereby encouraging youths to go into farming.
He said that he was determined to diversify the economy of Abia and make it totally independent of oil money to survive in the present economic melt down. “If oil likes, let it fall or stand, we are going to chart a course for ourselves.
We have to diversify,” he said. As part of the move to revitalize agriculture, Ikpeazu said that the state would embark on massive production of oil palm, cassava, and cocoa, a cash crop that Abia was ranked as number six producing state in the country. –
Thisday.
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