By Eze Chukwuemeka Eze,
Preamble
Jordan B Peterson, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto, a clinical psychologist must have had Chief Nyesom Wike the Rivers State Governor in mind when he postulated his famous quote that, “When you tell a lie often enough, you become unable to distinguish it from the truth”. Paul Watzlawick writing about Wike also stated and I quote,
“This is the secret of propaganda: To totally saturate the person (NIGERIANS), whom the propaganda wants to lay hold of, with the ideas of the propaganda, without him (NIGERIANS) even noticing that he is being saturated”. As Wike has become so notorious in the art of ‘propagandism’, Dr John Grierson did not wants to be left alone in describing Wike thus, “The oblique paradox of propaganda is that the lie in the throat becomes, by repetition, the truth in the heart”
Dictionary.com had the current happenings in Rivers State under the watch of Governor Nyesom Wike in mind when it defined propaganda as, “information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person (AMAECHI), group, movement, institution, nation (NIGERIA), etc” as to Wike telling the world lies about his predecessor and benefactor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi seems to be the only single agenda policy of his administration since he found himself as the Governor of Rivers State which is: “destroy all Amaechi’s legacies, malign, disparage and destroy his person”. On 11th June, 2016 during the 2016 AMAA Annual Awards hosted in Port Harcourt the capital of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike in his characteristic manner told the bewildered Rivers State people, the Journalists, Artists and visitors that, “Amaechi for eight years as the Governor of Rivers State achieved nothing and executed no project”. Funny enough, Governor Wike made this statement at Dr. Obi Wali International Conference Centre, like the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium all built by Rt. Hon. Chibuike RotimiAmaechi as Governor of Rivers State. These gigantic edifices have hosted both local and international events, including events organized by the present administration of Governor Nyesom Wike and to Wike and his cohorts; Amaechi executed no project and achieved noting in Rivers State.
After watching this type of painful scenario which has become very common in Rivers State today particularly in any event involving Wike and to avoid falling into the trap of late Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia’s famous words: “Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most that has made it possible for evil to triumph.”, I have decided in the next few weeks to unearth some of the feats of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi during his eight years golden rule as the Governor of Rivers State to debunk the evil lies from Wike and his cohorts in their unfortunate attempts to present and portray Amaechi as not performing creditably when he was the Governor of Rivers State. Some of us in this position are pained whenever we read and watch the unimaginable lies being dished out on daily basis from Rivers State just to disparage a fellow whose love, inputs towards rebuilding Rivers State and making it the centre of the world is not in doubt.
Today, I will focus on Amaechi and his strategies to change the landscape of the Agriculture Sector in Rivers State and made the State a model for any serious State in Africa to develop her agricultural prowess.
AMAECHI AND HIS REVOLUTION OF THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR OF RIVERS STATE
“In a world of plenty, no one, not a single person, should go hungry. But almost 1 billion still do not have enough to eat. I want to see an end to hunger everywhere within my lifetime.” –Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General.
“If there is food for all then we have a rich nation but when we don’t have food for all then we have a poor nation.” –Owelle Rochas Anayo Okoroacha, Governor of Imo State. With these postulations therefore, the importance of providing food for Nigeria’s large populace needs not be over-emphasized.
This treatise is principally aimed at unraveling the strategies adopted by one of the most visionary leaders ever from the shores of Nigeria. The record has it that the Port Harcourt that Amaechi inherited when he assumed office as Governor in 2007 was more like a jungle where the fittest determined the fate of lesser animals. The once glamorous city was ranked among the four most dangerous cities in the world as at that time. The Human Resources Unit of New York-based Marsh & McLennan Cos. had ranked Port Harcourt with Baghdad, Yemen’s capital of Sana’a and Khartoum in Sudan, as the world’s most dangerous cities. Going by the ranking published by Bloomberg, Port Harcourt ranked with Baghdad as one of the world’s most dangerous cities for foreign workers as criminal gangs and militia groups seeking greater control of energy revenue stepped up attacks. ForAmaechi to have ended this dangerous trend and rescued Rivers State from the menace of militancy demonstrates that he is a leader ahead of his peers.
As obtainable in other states in Nigeria, agricultural policy was almost nonexistent in Rivers State at the start of Governor Amaechi’s administration. There was therefore no vehicle upon which the sector could be driven. The sector appeared to have suffered from total neglect by previous administrations, leading to the following:
- The parastatals and companies were in a state of decay, e.g. School-To-Land, Delta Rubber, Risonpalm, ADP, etc. •Non-release of approved budgetary provisions. •There were no functional projects. •Agricultural infrastructure was in a deplorable state. •Counterpart funding on the part of the government was poor. •Staff training or capacity building was nonexistent.
With the coming of Governor Amaechi all these woes facing the agricultural sector were confronted headlong. He has succeeded to the extent that most world leaders that visited Rivers State commended him for his vision and commitment towards the development of agriculture in the state.
The first major step Governor Amaechi took was to initiate an agricultural policy that would guide his administration in his vision to create another economic base for the state outside oil.
AGRICULTURAL POLICY OF RIVERS STATE UNDER AMAECHI
In a broad sense, the policy of government on agriculture is to encourage full private sector participation in order to attain food security, sufficiency and best practices. Government is also to be strategically involved in creating the necessary agricultural environment for farmers by way of providing facilities and promoting programmes in collaboration with external agencies, institutions and Governments for the development of agriculture in the state. It has equally committed itself to invest in agriculture as a foreign exchange earner and use the sector to generate massive employment opportunities for its citizens.
The second step Governor Amaechi took in his vision to revolutionise agriculture in Rivers State was to appoint a very young, vibrant, unassuming and well focused leader in the person of Mr. Emmanuel Chinda as the Commissioner of Agriculture. This versatile, workaholic, egalitarian, well exposed politician and a University of Nigeria Nsukka graduate was all that Governor Amaechi needed to make much impact in this sector.
AMAECHI’S AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION AND REMARKABLE FEATS
The administration of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi since inception in 2007 has introduced several programmes to revamp the agricultural sector and encourage people to go back to farming. According toAmaechi, agriculture cannot be separated from the state’s overall development plan as the sector is being developed to equally stimulate the state’s economy. His administration has established the Songhai Centre, Fish Farms and Banana plantation as well as revived the Risonpalm in addition to other initiatives to improve agricultural growth and output in the state.
Under the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Amaechi-led administration has been providing farmers with credit, subsidies and incentives to boost their output and develop agriculture in the state. It has consistently provided farmers in the state with high yield and disease resistant varieties of crops and other planting materials, including providing professional guidance and assistance to fish farmers.
Apart from food security, the robust agricultural programmes of the Ameachi administration are designed to generate employment for the teeming unemployed youths in the state by encouraging them to go back to the land in order to resuscitate the sector.
PRACTICAL STEPS TAKEN BY THE AMAECHI ADMINISTRATION TO PROMOTE AGRICULTURE IN RIVERS STATE
- SONGHAI RIVERS INITIATIVE FARM (SRIF)
Songhai farm located at Bunu-Tai/Ban-Ogoi in Tai Local Council covering over 314 hectares of land was introduced after studying the Songhai Centre in Porto Novo, Benin Republic. The Songhai Rivers Initiative Farm (SRIF), which is 20 times the size of its prototype in Porto Novo, has since its establishment recorded huge success in its operations. This farm currently under the supervision of the RSSDA is the biggest agricultural training project/programme in the country.
A good number of Rivers people, mostly youths, have benefitted from the government’s scholarship programme at the Songhai Training Institute in Benin Republic while others have been trained internally to work at the SRIF, fulfilling part of the goals of the initiative.
Such goals include creating employment opportunities for the people, promoting enterprise development especially amongst the younger generation, promoting research in new agricultural techniques and varieties, encouraging skills transfer and adopting appropriate technology by local farmers. Others are enhancing agricultural production and value addition, building interest in commercial farming and facilitating agro-tourism in the state.
Another major aim is to diversify the economy of Rivers State by moving away from dependence on oil and gas, encourage export and serve as a model for developing rural cities in the state as well as make the state the centre of agro- based export free zone.
The Songhai Rivers Initiative Farm is an integration of Livestock, Aquaculture and Agro-tourism. The Centre is designed as a place of excellence for training, production, research, demonstration and development of sustainable agricultural practices. It is tipped to become the number one hub of agricultural development in the country.
Prior to commencement of work at the farm in 2010, the Amaechi administration had dispatched to the Songhai International Centre in Benin Republic a group of 105 young Rivers men and women from the 23 Local Councils of the state to receive 18-month training in various specialised agriculture and agro-based areas and imbibe an entrepreneurial culture.
Fifty trainees out of the number have already been absorbed in SRIF as the first set of workers who will have the opportunity to run their own farm units, sharpen their entrepreneurial skills and eventually set up and manage their own businesses with support from the centre.
- AQUACULTURE PROJECTS IN RIVERS STATE
- MoU was signed with ONIDA of Israel for the development of the Fish Farms at Buguma Andoni, Ubima and Opobo all commissioned and operational before Amaechi left office in 2015 and sadly, Wike in his effort to run down the economy of Rivers State has made all these farms redundant.
- The total production capacity of these farms is 5,000 tons per annum.
- The project createed employment in the hundreds, generate revenue for the state and pay back in about four years. It also has the objective of transfer of technology to our local investors who may wish to replicate this farm in smaller units.
Strategy and future considerations
- Fish Farming in Rivers will improve local community income and alleviate poverty.
- Services for the industry will create more jobs around the farms.
- Food supply increase in the country.
- Replace fish imports and enable.
Buguma Fish Farm
The Buguma Fish Farm has been completed and commissioned and is now ready for commercial production.
- A company, Buguma Fish Farm Nig. Ltd., has been incorporated with the Cooperate Affairs Commission (CAC).
- Recruitment of qualified personnel into the company has been concluded for the first batch of staff.
- The Andoni, Opobo and Ubima Fish Farms have also commenced.
- BANANA PLANTATION DEVELOPMENT
- The project is for the cultivation, production and export of banana for commercial purposes in partnership with San Carlos Nig. Ltd.
- A Special Purpose vehicle (Precious Bananas Nigeria Limited) has since been formed for the project.
- About 6,000,000 boxes of banana will be produced annually and marketed locally and internationally.
- 2,000 hectares of land have been acquired for the project at Khana and Tai LGAs.
- The value of the project is 45 million US dollars.
- Out of this RSG is to contribute 40% while the partner is to contribute 60%.
- So far the first phase of about 250 hectares has been fully cultivated.
- Production for the first stage has been successful as harvest has been made and local sales effected.
- Land preparation for the second phase (250ha) has commenced
- The farm has so far employed about 4,000 people directly.
- OIL PALM DEVELOPMENT IN RIVERS STATE Risonpalm Ltd
- Rehabilitation of infrastructure and installation of new processing mills almost completed.
- Engagement of new staff in progress; Risonpalm has the capacity to employ up to 5,000 people when running fully.
- Value of project is N20bn in the first 10 years.
- PLANTATION
- Rehabilitation of the Ubima and Elele estates, i.e. about 14,972 ha of palm trees, has been done.
- Rehabilitation of Oil Mill, with present capacity of 30 T/Hr
- OIL PALM DEVELOPMENT
New Oil Palm Estate
- The state has sourced 10,000 hectares for the development of a new oil palm estate in Okwale, Luebe, Lorre, Wikue, Lueku and Kpaa Azuogu, Ndoki, Obete of Khana and Oyigbo LGAs.
- Investors are being sourced for project, though discussions are on with a few investors that have shown interest.
- RUBBER DEVELOPMENT IN RIVERS STATE
- Delta Rubber: Rehabilitation and planting of the state owned 7,000 hectares Delta Rubber Company Limited with provision of processing facilities. MOU has just been signed with private investor, SIAT Nig. Ltd; on lease of the company.
- RUMUEWHOR RICE PROJECT
- Planting/cultivation of a 10,000 hectares rice field with provision of modern processing facilities.
- 10,000 hectares has been acquired for the project at Rumuewhor in EMOLGA
- Discussions with investors have gone far.
- Project is expected to commence soon.
- RIVERS FADAMA PROJECT
Fadama is a word for low lying seasonally flooded lands. The following has been achieved in this area:
- Establishment of three new farm villages for the cultivation of various crops, chief of which is cocoa.
- The project comes with a central processing centre to achieve value addition.
- MoU has been signed with LR Group of Israel who are investors/partners.
- Project is expected to employ up to 4,000 people.
- 5,000 hectares is being acquired for the project which is supervised by RSSDA with the involvement of the State Ministry of Agriculture.
- Value of the project is about 140m dollars
SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE PROJECTS
National Fadama Development Projects: Rivers State is benefitting from a World Bank Programme to develop the agricultural sub-sector of the economy supported by the federal, state and local governments to be implemented using Community Driven Development Approach.
Rivers State ADP: The ADP has the following programmes:
- Root and Tubber Expansion Programme (RTEP)
The programme aims at providing grants to farmers in the state to achieve sustainable increase in the production of root crops e.g. cassava, yam, cocoyam and sweet potato.
Focus in the state is centered on the production and processing of cassava. Funding is by IFAD, FGN and RSG.
25 Farmers Co-Operative Societies in the state have received grants for this programme. RSG counterpart funding since 2008 is N23m.
- Community Based Natural Resources Management Programme
This programme is for the empowerment and development of rural communities through community driven approach in partnership with IFAD. The programme is being implemented as of now, in 5 LGAs. Funding by RSG is N101,200,000 (2008 & 2009).
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURE IN RIVERS STATE
The mission of the Rivers State Government is anchored on integrity and good governance. This it hopes to achieve using its God-given resources to improve the quality of life of its present and future generations and empower its people.
Rivers State Government is promoting job creation by investing in its agricultural sector to promote businesses anchored on public private partnership.
In pursuing this goal, attractive and flexible investment incentives are available for investors to the state. This package of incentives which is exclusive to Rivers State is further enhanced by other Federal Government investment incentives; and is mainly in the areas of taxation, fiscal policies and guarantees.
POTENTIAL AREAS OF INVESTMENT
Oil Palm
The state has over 10,000 ha of land marked out for the development of additional oil palm estates on PPP basis. Investment in the industry will yield high returns. RSG is sourcing for investors to leverage on this opportunity.
Rubber
The state is in the rubber zone of the country and it has enough land for rubber development especially at the Elele/Ubima and Etche axis of the state. Investment in the product will be highly profitable.
Banana/Plantain
Few regions of the world are as endowed as Rivers State in the production of tropical crops like banana and plantain. Investors need to leverage on this opportunity.
Rice
RSG has acquired 10,000 ha of land for rice production/processing and is sourcing for investors to exploit this opportunity. Additional land is available especially in the upland areas of the state for rice cultivation. The soil is quite suitable for the cultivation of this staple food.
Cassava
There is enough fertile land for cassava planting/cultivation in all the upland areas of the state and some of the riverine LGAs such as Degema. A large market already exists for the product. Value addition will increase the benefits of investing in cassava planting/cultivation.
Pineapple, Orange, Pawpaw, Coconut
This is a key area of industrialization (fruit juices) which has not been fully explored. Enough fertile land exists in the state for their production.
Food Processing/Packaging
Investment in food processing/packaging will be rewarding in the sense that there is a huge market for such products in the state. The state capital, Port Harcourt, is a cosmopolitan city and Nigeria’s second largest commercial and industrial centre. With 23 LGAs, Rivers State is rightly described as the investors’ haven.
Aquaculture/Fishery
Rivers Sate is one of the most endowed states in the country in terms of aquaculture/fishery. The state currently has four fish farms on PPP basis with a production capacity of 5,000tons/annum but this is just like a drop in the ocean considering the fact that about 2million tons of fish is currently imported into the country annually. There is a huge market for the commodity and investors need to exploit this opportunity.
- Agro-tourism/Wild Life
- Hatchery, Poultry and Processing
- Feed Production, Packaging and Marketing
- Livestock/Meat Processing and Animal Husbandry
- Horticulture/Export of tropical plants and flowers
- Wood Processing, etc.
To Amaechi: “The current problem we are having in Nigeria is tied to poverty and unemployment. I believe that one solution to this insurgency is education and employment. The easiest employment is farming, because a large number of our youths are not educated and skilled. I applied it here in Rivers State and it worked. We created the Banana Farms that have created jobs for over 2,000 persons. We revived the Risonpalm; it was dead when we came, and it has employed over 5,000 workers. Also, the Songhai Farm has employed over 2,000 workers, while Five Fish Farms in strategic locations have been completed. We have done all that to create employment opportunities for our people.”
If this is not revolution then I am at a loss on what revolution means. Give me ten of the types of Amaechi and I will turn Nigeria into a heaven on earth! QED
CONCLUSION
Governor Wike in execution of his single agenda policy against Amaechi forgot that he was his Chief of Staff for four good years and was recommended by Amaechi for appointment as a Minister of Federal Republic of Nigeria under the administration of the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Today, Wike wants to present to the world an Amaechi who did not made any input towards building of Rivers State and sadly most people who were witnesses to the feats and impacts made by Amaechi and his Team are all keeping graveyard and stoic silence but God is watching us all!
Let me conclude this treatise therefore with a quote from Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the former President of Nigeria, during his visit to Rivers State to commission some projects initiated by the administration of the then Governor Amaechi: “I came to see developments and I have seen developments and I will confess developments! What I have seen is worth declaring! The area of health, education, Agriculture, Sports and road infrastructure is worth declaring. When I see development I earmark, eye mark and mouthmark.”
Eze Chukwuemeka Eze is a Media Consultant based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and can be reached through,ezemediaconcept2020@gmail.com, 08038199163