by crossriverwatch admin
The Senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District, Senator Benedict Ayade is on a tour of European and South East Asian countries in search of foreign investments in his senatorial district.
The Senator who is expected to inaugurate his food bank on July 15, 2014 in Ogoja is presently in the United Kingdom where he has had a couple of round table meetings with investors who are planning to establish a garment factory in Northern Cross River.
Responding to enquiries about the food bank, Senator Ayade told CrossRiverWatch from London that the food bank will provide a ready market for farmers who are presently struggling to sell the little they produce.
He said the food bank will buy off food from the farmers and distribute free to the most vulnerable, aged and retired in the Senatorial district.
“I am presently in England on an international tour to meet with partners who are willing to invest in Cross River North. The journey will take me to Holland, Turkey, China, Bangladesh, Mexico, India, Romania and Mauritius, to continue to the round table talks that will culminate in the establishment of a garment factory in Northern Cross River.
“I have already earmarked 120million Naira for the project and what we require from the investors essentially is technical cooperation. We know how the textile industry has helped to deal with the problem of unemployment in several countries and how it sustains the economy of nations like Bangladesh. We want to see how we can replicate such phenomena in Cross River North.
“The textile industries world over rank among the highest single employers of labor. I believe strongly that locating such an industry in my senatorial district will go a long way to absorb the thousands of jobless youths who are in dire need of quality jobs. Turkish textile factories are relocating to Africa especially Ethiopia for which I am trying to bring some to Cross River State.” He said.
Commenting on the Ayade Food Bank, the Senator said: “The Ayade Food Bank will be a bulk off taker with institutional fund making demand to outstrip supply thus creating a demand coefficient that brings value to agriculture and its downstream value chain; a mechanism that will draw youths and farmers alike into intensive commercial agriculture.
“The food bank branches have been set up in all the five LGAs of the northern senatorial district and recruitment will commence by 1st of July, 2014 with emphasis on women and widows as purchase officers, inspectors, quality control and distribution officers.
“The food bank will eventually go into operation, July 15 and will buy off food from farmers and distribute free of any charges to the most vulnerable, aged and retired. We want to give them food to eat as a social responsibility and at the same time provide a market that will make farming attractive to young people.
“If people know that when they farm, there is a place to market their products and make good money from their labor, farming will become attractive and unemployment will be reduced.”
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