By Dikachi Franklin, in Owerri.
Emeka Ihedioha, former deputy speaker of the federal House of Representatives and now the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Imo State says he would revolutionarise the agricultural sector of the state economy and make it attractive to the youths in order to reduce the growing unemployment in the state.
“I will bring a revolution in the agricultural sector of our State economy ,in such away that it will be attractive to the youths. There would be massive production of food, crimes and criminality would be reduced, when there is job opportunities the tendency to indulge in crimes and various social vices among the youths will be reduced in our state, Imo”, said Ihedioha.
In an interactive session in Owerri, he said it was only through the development of the agricultural sector that crimes and other vices could be effectively checkmated because most of the youths would be gainfully engaged in the sector.
He said the the state was endowed with abundant human and natural resources which could be harnessed to stimulate the growth in the agricultural sector and the overall development of the entire state.
Investment opportunities in the State in agro based industries include, integrated palm product processing, maize processing ,integrated sugar facory as investigations reveal that sugar cane can grow well in Imo state, fishery industries, wood based industries because the forest resources of the State offer opportunities for potential investors to establish wood based industries etc.
Ihedioha said if he wins the governorship election in the state and becomes the executive governor, his administration would revamp ADAPALM at Ohaji and Umuogu communities in Ohaji/Egbema and Aboh Mbaise local government areas of the state respectively with higher yielding improved variety of palm seedlings.
The PDP gubernatorial candidate also said the state under his leadership would target the planting of three million palm seedlings within four years across the 27 local government areas of the State. In addition, he promised to establish agro cites in the three senatorial zones of the state to provide seedlings, training, fertilizer and equipment for planting, harvesting, processing of local, distribution and exporting of agro and agro allied products.
Ihedioha plans to, among other things in the agricultural sector of the Imo state, establish a systematic cassava cropping as well as a farm produce buyback scheme as a buyer of last resort to curb wastages in order to protect and enhance earnings of farmers in the State, he said.
