How Orji Kalu’s govt explored agricultural development in Abia — Ex-SSG

Former Secretary to the Abia State Government, Dr Eme Okoro, has revealed how former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu made efforts to boost agriculture during his tenure.

Okoro who stated this while speaking with some journalists, lamented the persistent abandonment of the agricultural sector by Nigerian leaders.

When asked if he was impressed with the attitude of Nigerian leaders toward agriculture, Dr. Okoro while expressing his disappointment with the attitude of the leaders towards the agricultural sector, declared that both the federal and state governments had failed in agricultural development.

Okoro recalled how during former governor Kalu’s tenure, his administration actively demonstrated the potential of cassava by baking bread with cassava flour as an alternative to wheat.

According to him, despite the fact that cassava could be processed into chips, ethanol, and other valuable products, the sector remained underdeveloped due to poor leadership.

The former SSG to the Abia State government who revealed how he had advised several governors in the past on policy planning deficiencies, with only the government of Kalu who took his advice seriously, remarked: “Agriculture employs over 68% of Nigeria’s population, yet we are nowhere in developing the sector.

“Orji Uzor Kalu decided to listen to me and mandated that every Local Government Area (LGA) in Abia State should cultivate 10 hectares of cassava. One hectare of cassava can produce enough stems for 10 hectares the following year. Imagine how many hectares of cassava each LGA could have cultivated by now.”

This initiative, Okoro said could have created a vast network of cassava processors, leading to industrial growth just as he also highlighted his role in introducing Tenera oil palm to Abia, a variety known for its high yield and economic value.

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