Speaking while taking delivery of additional new containers of equipment at the state’s industrial city, yesterday, in Calabar, Governor Ayade said his policy was predicated on his desire to create jobs and wealth amongst the citizenry, especially the teeming unemployed.
The governor is currently building over twelve industries strategically located in the state with some already running and others at various stages of completion.
According to him,
“Cross River State is poised to lead Nigeria’s industrial revolution initiative with a particular focus on agro-based industries.
“We have just taken delivery of four containers load of equipment for our frozen chicken processing factory, Cala-Chicka. We have 40 more containers we are expecting for the entire poultry value chain in the state on the way.”
Continuing he explained that
“by implication, we also have the equipment for the automated chicken slaughterhouse and processing and packaging of frozen chicken. We also have three different equipment for three direction factories located in three different local government areas all intended to drive the frozen chicken export business.
According to the governor,
“This again is a kinetic crystallization of some of those industrialization projects that we have talked about and I believe that Cross Riverians are beginning to recognize and realize that indeed, we have taken the right decision to industrialize the state to create jobs and wealth among our people.”
Justifying the establishment of the frozen chicken in the state, Ayade hinted:
“We are taking advantage of protein deficiency in Africa and to venture into a frozen chicken. In the fullness of time, the world will see that Cross River State is in the right direction and our dream is manifesting and they will begin to appreciate our effort as our wealth creation and economy diversification drive is beginning to yield a positive result.”
Offering further insight into why the state is venturing into agricultural value chain the state, the governor maintained that
“As you can see, most of our projects are agro-based. For instance, as we process frozen chicken, we have to feed them. How do we feed them? We need soya beans; we really need also yellow maize. So, who will supply me the yellow maize? So, definitely, we now need to engage major industrial farmers for soya beans farming and yellow maize cultivation. How do they get funding?
That is why we set up Cross River Micro-finance Bank.”
“So, if you don’t know the story, you think that Ayade is carrying too much but there are all intended to just fit together and create an organic whole. It’s gradually crystallizing and that was why I had christened our budget,
“Kinetic Crystallisation.” And I can tell you that crystallization in rapid succession, all the things will start falling in place and people can begin to see for themselves.”
On the choice of Obubra for the yellow maize, he explained:
“Obubra has a very suitable soil for yellow maize cultivation. It has a massive landmass and it has a huge population. It is going to create at least 25,000 jobs growing just yellow maize alone. Soya bean will be cultivated in Yala. Again that will create another 25,000 jobs, with every young person having four to five hectares of yellow maize. That is why we signed a partnership with TATA to supply us all the equipment needed for our mechanise farming.”
On efforts to improve yield among farmers in addition to farm inputs the state is already providing, the governor stated that
“Cross River State is going to take out the agricultural infrastructure, take the burden off the farmers by providing access to the farm, clearing, doing the tilling, ploughing and making the farmer nurture its plants.
“Even at the point of harvest, the state government will be there to support the farmers. So, Cross River is preparing to make green millionaires and that is why I made a commitment that I was going to make a young green millionaire.”
This is a programme that if the people understand the focus and the drive, they will see that truly, we are going towards a tangent and that tangent will crystallize very soon. By the time we start exporting frozen chicken out of Cross River State, that alone will create all the jobs that we need from the entire value chain.”
A non-governmental organisation under the aegis of Rainforest Resource and Development Centre (RRDC) has chided governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, over the high rate of deforestation currently ongoing in some parts of the state under the guise of constructing 276 Kilometers superhighway.
RRDC made the allegation in a paper during a workshop with the theme; “Media sensitisation and Forest Community Concerns and Super Highway.” The NGO stressed that if the rate of deforestation in the state is not curtailed Cross River may lose her vast rain forest before the year 2040.
In an interview with journalists shortly after the paper presentation, executive director, RRDC, Odey Oyama alleged that the proposed Super High Way is a gimmick by the administration of Ben Ayade to create access into the hinterland of the state so as to have access to exploit the timbers for his own economic gains.
Oyama, an advocate of forest conservation in Cross River State, blamed the governor for failing to follow due process when he conceived the idea to construct the super highway project adding that the right thing was not done by the administration before kick-starting the super highway project.
The executive director accused the administration of bulldozing people’s economic trees/crops under the guise of doing superhighway without following the due process or making adequate consultation with communities.
He said that bulldozing the rainforest owned by the communities and Cross River National Park, is against the law.
The Cross River State government has announced that its micro-finance bank will soon become operational.
The state governor, Prof Ben Ayade stated this during the inspection of the office complex, along with the Branch Controller, Central Bank of Nigeria, Calabar, Sampson Isuwa and the CBN Head, Development Finance office, Dr. Aniefiok Akpan Umoren.
The bank is being established to boost agriculture in the state.
The Governor said “the only way agriculture can be exciting for young people is to go digital and professional that is why in Cross River, we are taking our time to be the largest rice producers in Africa.
“We have set up the first rice and seedling plant in Africa, we are going into massive and expansive cultivation of rice but to do all of that, we also need a backbone.”
He explained that “Cross River is now supporting CBN and federal government with a state microfinance bank and we are hoping that our date of April 27 as the commissioning date has to be sacrosanct.”
“We have invited the CBN governor who will be here in person. When you ask young men to go into farming, where are they going to get the resources?” Ayade asked rhetorically.
He intimated that although Central Bank of Nigeria provides a facility with a minimal repay period, he has set aside the sum of N500million which will be available to the microfinance bank on the commissioning date when it will open for operations.
He said “The money is set aside for civil servants who want to go into farming, be it must be one, two or three hectares.”
Prof Ayade pointing out that as part of his administration’s efforts to boost farming, which is the right road map for Africa and indeed Nigeria, “the state also has an agricultural development company whose business is to provide agricultural services with an extension service arm.”
Other ventures the governor disclosed would support the agricultural value chain include the white collar farming which allows one the luxury of being a farmer, yet preserves his or her dignity as an educated person.
“As most people think that the university certificate can no longer put their houses on the ground, including the introduction of what he termed, food on the table, hands on the plough.
“In Nigeria, we have land, we are looking for farmers. We have farmers they are looking for money; we have money we
are looking for interest.
“Why would a developing economy that understands that they want to move people away from oil to agriculture still want to put a single digit interest rate in a very short gestation period in an agricultural facility? Again, that makes it difficult, so it is the microfinance bank that will underpin it with the support from Central Bank of Nigeria.”
For Sampson Suwanee, CBN branch controller, “the Prof Ben Ayade-led administration has demonstrated its resolve to create employment for the teeming unemployed youths in the state.”
He added that, “CBN is running after Ayade because of the agricultural program as we want all to bank and access credit facilities.”
Suwanee said “The only way to achieve this is to ensure that we open microfinance bank branches as there are many places across the state that doesn’t have banks. This will help them access credit and pay back.
“The governor’s zeal to make sure that this state is number one is something that we are very happy with. Let us be much stronger in food production that is the only way we can have economic development in this country.”
On his part, Dr Umoren who heads CBN Development Finance office maintained that “we are happy with Ayade for adding value to the economy of the state, creating different clusters across the state to encourage youths to go into farming of crops.”
The Governor of Cross River state, Benedict Ayade stole the show at the ongoing 2017 Calabar Carnival festival in Nigeria, also tagged “Africa’s Biggest Street Party”, when he arrived with his wife on a 'monster scorpion bike'.
The Governor was cheered by many onlookers who were wowed by the grand arrival. Earlier in the day, we shared photos of former governor of the state, Donald Duke and his wife, Onari, who emerged in another monster power bike to celebrate the event.
The Calabar Bikers Parade in Cross River State has become a ritual at the carnival since it was inaugurated by the Governor.
Calabar Festival was created as part of the vision of making the Cross River State in Nigeria, the number one tourist destination for Nigerians and tourists all over the world.
The carnival which falls from 1 December through 31 December every year, has boosted the cultural mosaic of Nigeria people while entertaining the millions of spectators within and outside the State, and boosting industry for all stakeholders.
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