Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has alleged that politics
has been used to deny the state access to agricultural loans
offered by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
![image](/2021/03/sjk.jpg")
He made the allegation when he hosted the Minister of State for
Agriculture, and Rural Development, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, in Port
Harcourt, on Monday.
![image](/2021/01/payne-alex.jpg")
The governor decried the situation where every issue in the
country including agriculture has been politicised instead of
implementing such policies dispassionately to achieve the intended
food security and jobs for the youths.
“I think, I am one of those states that nobody gives loans for
agriculture. I don’t know what hatred the Central Bank Governor has
for us? We do not know.
“We have been hearing of Anchor borrower this and Anchor that.
But when it concerns Rivers State, you will hear a lot of
things.”
Wike explained that in an idle situation devoid of politics, the
Central Bank of Nigeria will partner with the Rivers State
government to achieve the objectives of setting up the State-owned
cassava processing plant.
“Please tell the Governor of Central Bank to remember us too,
that we are part of Nigeria. When we applied, they said this loan
was N5 billion. We have applied for more than one year now. They
said we should bring this and bring that.
“They said we should bring the co-operative societies and I say
this where the politics come from. If I want to eat government
money, I can sit here and write cooperative societies.
“The previous administration took the loan and said they gave it
to corporative societies of over N3billion. Who are these
corporative societies? And the money went off like that.
“And we are telling you to see the cassava processing plant that
you are supposed to say we will buy into this, we will support the
state government. Nothing has happened.”
The Governor said even without the loans from the Central Bank
of Nigeria, his administration is achieving a revolution in cassava
processing that will create jobs for youths and enduring patronage
for farmer folks.
“It is not in dispute that to take the country out of where we
are, agriculture is key. If we are sincere with the reality that
agriculture will employ a lot of our youths; give them jobs and
achieve food security, then we must do it in such a way that we
really mean what we say.”
The governor said the state government will invite the Minister
of Agriculture to commission the cassava processing plant.
According to him, many companies have keyed in already to buy off
what will be processed.
“We have over 3000 farmers who have registered. From them, the
company will buy off all their produce. We are happy with this
feat.”
He expressed surprised over the road projects and provision of
solar-powered electricity that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture
claimed to have provided to rural communities in the state.
He said it is important for the state government to know where
those rural roads and solar power are located so that proper
recording will be done and a letter of appreciation written to
thank the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for the gesture.
“I am also surprised when you said you’ve done rural roads in
Rivers State. I don’t know the roads you did. It is important for
us to know them so that we will put it on record, that the Federal
Ministry of Agriculture did this road.
“And we will be able to write to you and thank you for doing
such road. If you put solar, let us also know. Except you gave it
to your party people. There is no way you will do the road in my
state without the state government being aware.”
Governor Wike also wondered what had become of the spate of the
abduction of children in succession and shortly afterwards, they
are released.
“I saw breaking news, another banditry in Kaduna and taking away
students and teachers. The thing is becoming funny. Yesterday, you
take 300, two days after, they release them. The next morning, you
take another one, the next 24 hours, they’re released.
“So, people know where they are. You take two hundred and
something people in a 20 kilometres distance and nobody will know?
And in the next 24 hours, they’ve been released. What’s really
happening?
“Can somebody tell us the truth of what’s going on? It is
becoming funny. And why is it so? It is so because we politicise
the issue of security.”
Minister of State for Agriculture, and Rural Development,
Mustapha Baba Shehuri, said he was in the state to inspect ongoing
and completed projects that will boost rural agricultural
activities under his ministry.
He said the federal government is poised to support Rivers
farmers with new technology that will address the problems of low
yields, allow them to have access to improved varieties of cassava
produce, chemical for treatment for the seeds and crops
protection.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has alleged that politics
has been used to deny the state access to agricultural loans
offered by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
He made the allegation when he hosted the Minister of State for
Agriculture, and Rural Development, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, in Port
Harcourt, on Monday.
The governor decried the situation where every issue in the
country including agriculture has been politicised instead of
implementing such policies dispassionately to achieve the intended
food security and jobs for the youths.
“I think, I am one of those states that nobody gives loans for
agriculture. I don’t know what hatred the Central Bank Governor has
for us? We do not know.
“We have been hearing of Anchor borrower this and Anchor that.
But when it concerns Rivers State, you will hear a lot of
things.”
Wike explained that in an idle situation devoid of politics, the
Central Bank of Nigeria will partner with the Rivers State
government to achieve the objectives of setting up the State-owned
cassava processing plant.
“Please tell the Governor of Central Bank to remember us too,
that we are part of Nigeria. When we applied, they said this loan
was N5 billion. We have applied for more than one year now. They
said we should bring this and bring that.
“They said we should bring the co-operative societies and I say
this where the politics come from. If I want to eat government
money, I can sit here and write cooperative societies.
“The previous administration took the loan and said they gave it
to corporative societies of over N3billion. Who are these
corporative societies? And the money went off like that.
“And we are telling you to see the cassava processing plant that
you are supposed to say we will buy into this, we will support the
state government. Nothing has happened.”
The Governor said even without the loans from the Central Bank
of Nigeria, his administration is achieving a revolution in cassava
processing that will create jobs for youths and enduring patronage
for farmer folks.
“It is not in dispute that to take the country out of where we
are, agriculture is key. If we are sincere with the reality that
agriculture will employ a lot of our youths; give them jobs and
achieve food security, then we must do it in such a way that we
really mean what we say.”
The governor said the state government will invite the Minister
of Agriculture to commission the cassava processing plant.
According to him, many companies have keyed in already to buy off
what will be processed.
“We have over 3000 farmers who have registered. From them, the
company will buy off all their produce. We are happy with this
feat.”
He expressed surprised over the road projects and provision of
solar-powered electricity that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture
claimed to have provided to rural communities in the state.
He said it is important for the state government to know where
those rural roads and solar power are located so that proper
recording will be done and a letter of appreciation written to
thank the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for the gesture.
“I am also surprised when you said you’ve done rural roads in
Rivers State. I don’t know the roads you did. It is important for
us to know them so that we will put it on record, that the Federal
Ministry of Agriculture did this road.
“And we will be able to write to you and thank you for doing
such road. If you put solar, let us also know. Except you gave it
to your party people. There is no way you will do the road in my
state without the state government being aware.”
Governor Wike also wondered what had become of the spate of the
abduction of children in succession and shortly afterwards, they
are released.
“I saw breaking news, another banditry in Kaduna and taking away
students and teachers. The thing is becoming funny. Yesterday, you
take 300, two days after, they release them. The next morning, you
take another one, the next 24 hours, they’re released.
“So, people know where they are. You take two hundred and
something people in a 20 kilometres distance and nobody will know?
And in the next 24 hours, they’ve been released. What’s really
happening?
“Can somebody tell us the truth of what’s going on? It is
becoming funny. And why is it so? It is so because we politicise
the issue of security.”
Minister of State for Agriculture, and Rural Development,
Mustapha Baba Shehuri, said he was in the state to inspect ongoing
and completed projects that will boost rural agricultural
activities under his ministry.
He said the federal government is poised to support Rivers
farmers with new technology that will address the problems of low
yields, allow them to have access to improved varieties of cassava
produce, chemical for treatment for the seeds and crops
protection.