FG to complete South South silo in Bayelsa

THE Federal Government has pledged to complete the South South Silo located in Yenagoa, Bayelsa.

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Sen Heineken Lokpobiri, made the pledge after a tour of the project site in Igbogene area of Yenagoa on Saturday.

Lokpobiri said funds had been released to complete 100,000 ton capacity silo by August.

The silo projects initiated in 2009 is part of the Strategic Grains Reserve scheme to ensure food security by the federal government.

There are six grains storage facilities awarded for each of the six geo-political zones.

Lokpobiri noted that the silos in other zones had been completed, adding that the level of completion of the one in Bayelsa was not encouraging.

Lokpobiri, who said he was not happy with the level of job done so far, directed the contractors to come to Abuja for further briefings to work out strategy for the timely completion of the silo in Yenagoa.

Lokopobiri stated that the silo, when completed, would preserve grains including rice and maize from farmers in various states in the South South to boost preservation and food security in the country.
The minister of state who is on tour of silos across the nation, said the completion of the projects would also support the agricultural revolution of the present administration.

The Director, Strategic Grains Reserve, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Shehu Bello, said the project was slowed down because of some engineering challenges at the construction site.

An official of the contracting firm, Mr Otun Abiodun, said the company had applied for the review of the contract sum to take care of the extra cost incurred due to the difficult terrain of the project site, which is largely swampy.