Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has advised the Federal Government
to consider establishing farms across the 36 states, using members of the
National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) as drivers of a youth agricultural
initiative.
The Governor, in a statement issued on Thursday by his Chief Press
Secretary, Enyinnaya Appolos, said this when he received the Director
General of NYSC, Brig. Gen. Sule Kazaure, who paid him a one day working
visit at Government House Umuahia.
Governor Ikpeazu said the policy will make it mandatory for Corp members
to be trained by experts in various aspects of agriculture during their
one year national service, and every state will provide farm.
He said that upon the completion of their service year, the Federal
Government will make Agric loans accessible to them to go into various
aspect of farming.
Ikpeazu said that the scheme will provide employment as it will encourage
youth involvement in agriculture and reduce the number of white collar job
seekers.
The governor said, “I’ve thought about how to solve the problem of
unemployment in Nigeria and I think that the best way to solving this
problem Sent from my iPad
According to him, “NYSC is a vehicle that can drive government policies
including agriculture and achieve good value chain in the industry”.
He promised that the erosion site at the orientation camp will be visited
and the female hostel looked into, promising that government will continue
to assist the NYSC in the state.
Ikpeazu also pleaded with NYSC to consider awarding contracts for the
production of uniforms and boots to Aba tailors and shoe makers to support
his administrations drive for patronage of made in Aba goods and services.
He assured that the state Government will guarantee high quality products
as well as provide industrial capacity machines and high quality inputs to
a consortium of tailors and shoe makers at Aba to meet the demands of NYSC
in a timely manner.
The governor stated that the state is also ready to supply uniforms and
boots to military men in the country at competitive prices.
Earlier, the DG of the NYSC, brig Gen Suleiman Zakari Kazaure said that he
was in the state for a routine inspection of the camp facility for the
batchA stream 2 of the NYSC.
He thanked the Governor for the cordial relationship between the state and
the NYSC team in the state and appreciated his achievements in the state
including his benevolence to the NYSC and requested him to assist in the
area of erosion control in the camp, fix the dilapidated female hostel and
provide borehole as well as do something about the subvention payable to
NYSC.