According to Abia Governor Alex Otti, his administration is committed to reorienting the agricultural sector through both short-term social interventions and long-term sustainable solutions to ensure food security in the state.
During his monthly media interaction at Government House in Umuahia on Friday night, Otti made this statement.
He highlighted that citizens must go beyond social initiatives like interest-free loans and the distribution of farming equipment.
Although these programs have helped farmers thus far, he felt that switching from subsistence to commercial agriculture was necessary for long-term food security.
“We must begin to see agriculture as a business if we truly want to guarantee food security. Interest-free loans are helpful, but they don’t go far.
“We are working on strategies to ensure a more effective deployment of resources for maximum impact in the agriculture sector,” the governor said.
He further said that his administration had started exploring new strategies to scale up commercial farming and optimising resource allocation across the state.
He also said that the State Government had made significant progress in clearing salary arrears owed to staff at the Dr Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Aba.
He said that efficient measures had been put in place to identify staff members who were disengaged by the previous administration and those who did not return after being called back.
He said the measure was to ensure that only eligible persons received their outstanding payments, adding that his government inherited 34-month salary arrears and has cleared 18 months so far.
Therefore, he assured that payments would continue on a structured basis, with arrears disbursed on the 28th of every month alongside regular salaries.
Otti also explained the reasons behind the government’s decision to relocate the Faculties of Agriculture and Law of the Abia State University, Uturu, from Umuahia back to the main campus in Uturu.
He said the decision was informed by the need to promote the institution’s sustainable development. He added that the relocation followed months of evaluation by a visitation panel, which submitted a report based on verifiable data.
He said the State Government subsequently accepted the report’s recommendations and issued a White Paper endorsing the relocation.
However, Otti declared that the deadline for moving both faculties would be extended to June in order to finish constructing the required infrastructure.
He said the choice was well-considered and well-intentioned because we want the university to operate as a university and not as a multi-campus institution.
Otti said that although Uturu had the means to fund studies in agriculture and law, the move was in line with the government’s larger plan for ABSU.
He went on to say that the choice was ideal for the university’s long-term growth strategy.
Source: TheGuardian
