With the economic hardship facing the nation, Publisher of Southernvoicenews.com, an Online Newspaper base in Ughelli Delta State, Comrade Godwin-Maria Utuedoye, has appealed to the Ughelli North Local Government Chairman, Hon. Jaro Egbo, to venture into farming on behalf of the local government.
He urged Hon. Jaro Egbo to consider the agricultural potential in Ughelli North Local Government Area and how it can be utilized for the benefit of the people, noting that by investing in farming on behalf of the local government, the council can not only generate revenue but also provide food security for the residents.
Comrade Utuedoye, a renowned Delta Journalist and Publisher, was reacting to a video of the local government chairman that surfaced on Facebook were he was displaying his hectares of cassava farm and fish ponds at his compound.
Comrade Utuedoye emphasized the importance of leadership focusing on the needs of the people and using available resources to improve their well-being instead of serving self interest. According to the Publisher, it is not a bad idea to diversify into private farming, but as a public figure and leader, his primary concern should first be for his people other than his personal interest.
He urged the chairman to take proactive measures in utilizing the agricultural opportunities in the area for the greater good of the community.
“It is not a bad idea to encourage people to go into farming, but you as the number citizen of the local government should also do something on behalf of all the citizens.
“Local Government can go into farming in the name of the council and generates funds yearly through such innovations or ventures. The council can also subsidized their agricultural produce for the citizens and peoples”.
Continuing, Comrade Utuedoye noted that, if the council can channel some of its funds into cassava farming, then Garri as one of the most common foods in the area can then be subsidized for the citizen and it will go along way to helping them especially at this trying period of economic downturn. He said, though the chairman has the right to invest in farming, but his priority should first be the well being of the people he has come to serve.
While citing Burkina Faso as an example, the Journalist urged the local government boss to emulate the revolution going on in that country as the military government is gradually working on food security for her citizens.
The Publisher of Southernvoicenews.com called on Hon. Jaro Egbo to prioritize the agricultural development in the Local Government and explore ways to leverage farming for the benefit of the people, expressing optimism that with proper planning and sincere execution, farming initiatives can contribute significantly to the growth and prosperity of the local government area.
“Just as we see local government mass assisted transport vehicles, there can also be such projects in the agricultural sectors. It will not only bring us food security, but it will also create job opportunities for people.”
He noted that most of the local government staff contribute well below what they earn monthly, but said if their potentials and creativity be harnessed properly, the turn over will definitely be amazing. He maintained that his appeal is not only to Ughelli North Council Chairman, but to all local government areas, adding that staff could be sent to different farms as supervisors with certain targets, this he said will put most of them on their toes to ensuring they deliver.