Special Assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Project Monitoring, Comrade Martins Inyangetoh, has commended the present administration for making agriculture a culture in Akwa Ibom, saying its “passion and commitment through the Akwa Ibom Enterprise and Employment Scheme (AKEES) is unparalleled.”
Comrade Inyangetoh stated this on Monday during an inspection of the AKEES 32-Hectares Farm in Obot Inwang, Ekeya, Okobo Local Government Area, where he said agriculture remains a major way to create employment and wealth creation, therefore applauded Governor Emmanuel and his various agricultural initiatives including AKEES.
He said he was impressed to know that the AKEES’ Cucumber Farm has become the largest farm in the South-South region, adding that “there has been a tremendous achievement in the area of agriculture under the leadership of Governor Udom Emmanuel. Today, Akwa Ibom can boast of its own rice, cucumbers, tomatoes among other farm produce.”
Received at the facility by the Farm consultant and one of the Managers, Mr. Langwa Brezhwa, and Mr. Christopher Odiong, Comrade Inyangetoh said “Agriculture has gainfully employed youths of Akwa Ibom and generated more income for the state. Through the Governor’s benevolence, agricultural activities have tremendously increased which has also brought about food security.”
“It is now clear that everywhere in Akwa Ibom, one can see visible increase in agricultural produce ranging from garri to rice, from tomatoes to cucumbers. Yields are going up; production and productivity are going up; more people are investing in agriculture. This has also gone to show that the Udom Emmanuel administration a strong focus on agriculture and its determined to move from over reliance on oil to agriculture,” he added.
The Special Assistant, while expressing confidence that Governor Emmanuel will be reelected as Governor of Akwa Ibom State judging by his exemplary performance and contribution to agriculture, urged youths of the state to go all out and vote “more development, progress, peace, prosperity and a secured future for Akwa Ibom people.”
Responding, the Farm consultant, Mr. Brezhwa informed the Governor’s aide that the facility, which is running on a drip-tape technology, has over 21 permanent personnel and lots of daily hired workers within the community.
He said, with the modern technology employed at the farm, it takes 37 days to plant and harvest cucumber, stressing with the size of this farm, the biggest in South-South Nigeria, we still have difficulty in meeting demands. We have harvest minimum of 4,000 bags a month against a daily demand of 170 bags.”
