Constitution Amendment: Ex-Gov Ayade’s Aide Says Cocoa Can Sustain Ogoja State

A former Special Adviser to the immediate-past governor of Cross River State on Cocoa Development and Control Dr. Oscar Ofuka, has defended the proposed creation of Ogoja State, assuring that if created, economy around cocoa can sustain the state.

Dr Ofuka stated that cocoa production in the central axis of the state makes it possible for economic viability of the proposed Ogoja State.

He made the remarks while answering questions from LEADERSHIP on the economic prospects of Ogoja State if eventually created at the venue of the public hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional amendment at the Transcorp Hotel, Calabar on Saturday.

The former aide to ex-Governor Ben Ayade averred that if creation of Ogoja State scales through constitutional process, the state will become one among the most qualified and economically viable states.

“The most qualified state to be created is the Ogoja State because it’s a province that was not made a state.

“The Ogoja Province has all it takes to sustain itself. It has abundant natural and agricultural resources like cocoa which is an international crop.

“The entire ecology of the proposed state supports cocoa cultivation and development.

“This is why we created a lot of awareness on cocoa development and also distributed cocoa seedlings across the three senatorial districts of the state, giving priority attention to the northern senatorial district.

“Some of these seedlings have grown to plantations and are already yielding resources”, he maintained.

Ofuka stressed that with cocoa development and value chain creation, the proposed state is capable of standing out on its own without much reliance on the federation account.