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| Cross River State Deputy Governor, Professor Ivara Esu addressing Cross Riverians during the flagging-off of the FADAMA III programme |
The Cross River State Government Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade has assured that the flagging-off of additional financing of Fadama III marks another turning point in our quest to diversify our State and National economy by revamping agriculture and making it the mainstay of the economy.
Governor Ben Ayade who was represented by his Deputy, Prof. Ivara Ejemot Esu state this while performing the official flag-off of the Fadama III programme in Calabar.
He described agriculture as the bedrock of our development and commended the National Project Coordinator and all the line staff for working assiduously to ensure that the revival of the programme is actualized, adding that as a State, we are blessed with vast arable and suitable climatic conditions for the participation in different agricultural value chain.
Sen. Ayade emphasized that the present administration will continue to accord priority attention to the execution of projects that will have direct impact on our people and by extension, accelerate the pace of socio-economic growth in the State, maintaining that why the State has established and maintained productive synergies with donor agencies and other critical partners for enhanced development, assuring that the State will honour all obligation by prompt release of counterpart funds to ensure take-off and completion of all such projects and programmes.
According to the Governor, the loans are refundable and so must be judiciously applied for the purpose they are meant for as no form of misappropriation will be tolerated, and used the forum to urge project managers to close monitor beneficiaries to ensure that they are put into expanding cassava production in the State.
He used the forum to challenge our youths to take up vocations in agriculture as it has potentials to increase income and generate employment saying that mechanized Technologist and application of right inputs for enhance increased production as well as expanded income from the same land.
Speaking earlier, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Prof. Anthony Eneji, who was represented by the Director of Administration in the Ministry, Dr. Francis Adie intimated that based on the lessons learned from the previous programmes, the present additional financing is aimed at scaling up the achievements of Fadama III to support increase production of Cassava, Rice, Tomatoes and Sorghum.
Dr. Adie maintained that as the 2nd highest producer of cassava in the country, there is need for us as a State to scale up and assume the prime position as number one in the country and commended the state government for prompt approval and release of funds to facilitate efficiency in the area of cassava production.
The ceremony featured presentation of agricultural manual and other literary materials to farming groups and co-operative societies.
Report by: Paulyne Eba (Dep gov’s Press unit, Calabar)
