Outgoing governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, has extolled the virtues of the first indigenous military governor of the South-Eastern State, Udoakaha Jacob Esuene, saying his patriotic leadership spurred successive administrations to consolidate on his legacies.
While commissioning some internal roads, roundabout and other physical infrastructure in Uyo, Eket, Itu and other local government areas including the multi-million naira Worship Centre along Udo Udoma Avenue, Emmanuel, charged his successor, Pastor Umo Eno, to consolidate on his achievements.
Stressing the need for massive investment in agriculture for food sufficiency, the governor in last his minutes inauguration of key facilities, called on the people to embark on agricultural ventures, stressing that “it is a means to food security, employment generation, wealth creation and sustainable development.”
He stated this at the commissioning of the Tomato Paste Factory at the Dakkada Cottage Industries at Itam, in Itu LGA., and charged the people to take advantage of the factory to cultivate tomatoes to serve as raw material for the factory.
He pointed out that large scale tomato cultivation will create food security, enhance the food chain and open up employment opportunities, maintaining that the most sustainable wealth in the world is investment in agriculture.
He said, “Let us provide enough feeder for this factory if we do that the factory will run well and be sustained and government is opening this factory for the benefit of all Akwa Ibom people. If you have some acres of tomatoes plantation or pepper, bring it here we buy it at a competitive price as anywhere in the world and then we turn it into a purry and we will make a lot of money from it.”
Governor Emmanuel therefore urged the youths to take ownership of the Tomato Paste Factory with 5-8 tonnes per -day capacity processing line, which will create economic value, food and value chains, stressing that “whatever we are putting here, protect it, and the people working here watch out for it. I believe this place will have more tomatoes to process than the capacity that is installed so that government can be encouraged to introduce a second and third line.”
He thanked the Ministry of Trade and Investment which supervised the project and all those who contributed towards the completion of the factory, expressing optimism that the plant will increase in its capacity of production and cultivation of more tomatoes to keep the value chain flowing.
