Date: 2009-10-19

Kwara State Governor, Dr Bukola Saraki has again advocated a critical review of the country’s Fiscal policies in favour of Agriculture to make it economic viable just as he called on Nigerians to be patriotic to their country.  

Dr Saraki stated this on Monday while receiving participants from the National Defence College, Course 18, Abuja, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office at Government House, Ilorin.  

The Governor, who argued for a review of the fiscal policies to stimulate agriculture, said only when this is done can the country address the problem of food security and agriculture.  

"A country that is still spending close to five billion dollars on food importation with a population of 140 Million people is not a country that has really address the issue of agriculture," Saraki said.  

He told the visiting team that in an attempt to address this critical problem of food security and unemployment among the youth, the State Government focussed on agriculture and ago-allied to stimulate food production and reduce poverty in the State.  

Speaking on the efforts of his administration in the area of poverty alleviation in the State, Dr Saraki disclosed that the Molete Youth Integrated Farm Training Centre was established where unemployed Youths were engaged and trained in the art of modern farming techniques.  

The Centre, according to him, had produced three different sets of over 300 graduate youth farmers, who were assisted by the State Government to establish their own farms.  

He also made reference to the Commercial Farming initiative in Shonga where the new Nigerian Farmers were engaged in the actual transfer of technology to the local farmers, which has also helped in no small measure to increase their farm yields per hectare.  

Other areas of focus, the governor stated, are the Aviation College scheduled to take-off next year and the already established Football Academy which is currently the number one Football Academy in the country, adding that all these are efforts geared towards reducing poverty and unemployment rates.  

Dr Saraki, who used the occasion of the visit to appeal to Nigerians to be absolutely patriotic to their country and shun all forms of corrupt tendencies both in the public and private sectors, enjoined participants to focus on security challenges on a global perspective.  

He also charged them to look at a number of what the State Government is doing in relation to the team, expressing hope that it will help to build up their own ideas as regards the use of Youth Empowerment as a strategy for maintaining security in the State, and the country as a whole.  

Earlier, the team leader, Brigadier-General Muhammad Inuwa Idris had expressed appreciation to the State Government for the warm reception accorded the course participants on arrival in the State.  

Gen. Idris disclosed that the purpose of the study tour was to ascertain the impact of the State Government’s Youth Empowerment Programme on the people and to help reduce insecurity in the State.  

The essence of the course, he said, was to prepare selected qualified Senior Military Officers and their counterparts from the Nigeria Police and other relevant Federal Ministries for higher responsibilities at strategic and policy level.  

About 122 participants from the Army, Navy, Airforce, The Police and Civilian directors from strategic Ministries and Intelligent Services and Agencies are taking part in the 11-month duration course, under the theme: "Youth Empowerment as a Strategy for maintaining security", with Kwara State as a case study.

 

Mas’ud Adebimpe

Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor

19/10/09