By CrossRiverWatch Admin
The promise to locally source for and process raw materials to feed the Cross River Garment factory through the cultivation of cotton farm and ginnery within the state has received a boost with the state government acquiring 1000 hectares of land from the people of Woda in Yala LGA for the cultivation of a cotton farm.
As part of appreciation from chiefs, elders, youths and women of Woda community to the administration of Governor Ayade, an additional 1000 hectares of land has equally been donated to the Governor for the cultivation of rice farm in the area making a total of 2000 hectares of land.
The meeting with the Woda community was attended by the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Dr. John Inyang, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Joe Oshie Abang, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Hon. Peter Egba, Commissioner for Agriculture, Professor Anthony Eneji and the Director-General, Due Process and Price Intelligence Bureau, Barrister Alphonsus Ogar who led the Government delegation to the community.
In his remarks, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Joe Oshie Abang, said that the visit was unique bearing in mind that it is a Sunday and that God has given a blessing to the business and understanding that will be reached between the people of Woda and the Cross River state Government for the acquisition of land for the cotton farm.
The Attorney General explained that the government and the people will enter into a formal agreement and that the establishment of the cotton farm which will be followed with the establishment of ginnery in the near future will bring development and employment to the people of the area, and stressed the need for the youths and all the people to provide an enabling environment for the farm and the ginnery to be established to operate successfully.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, John Inyang, disclosed that they were in Woda to acquire 1000 hectares for the cultivation of cotton to feed the Cross River Garment factory and commended the community for the additional donation of 1000 hectares to the government for the cultivation of rice.
He explained that government does not pay compensation for any land acquired but that the compensation Is to take care of all the economic trees, crops and houses that are to give way for the cultivation of the cotton farm and subsequently the ginnery factory. He disclosed that the state government has already provided the sum of N5million as part payment for compensation after other processes and enumeration have been completed, the balance will be paid and that selected leaders from the community will be signatories to the account.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Hon. Peter Egba, told the people that the essence of their coming was to inform the people of Woda that government is ready to acquire the said land from the people for the already stated purpose and that what has started today will blossom into huge government cotton farms and also those to be cultivated individually by the people.
Hon. Egba thanked the people for the warm reception accorded the team and for the donation of additional 1000 hectares of land for the cultivation of rice to the state government.
In his remark, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Anthony Eneji, disclosed that the administration of Senator Ayade is desirous of industrializing the state and bringing development to every nooks and crannies of Cross River State, and that development is coming to the people of Woda with the establishment of cotton farm and the proposed ginnery factory in the area.
Eneji informed the people that they were required to form cooperatives and to embark on cooperative cotton farming to benefit from the Federal Government Anchor Borrowers Program on cotton cultivation, and charged them to cooperate fully with the state government to benefit maximally from the projects that are coming to their area.
In a similar vein, the Director General, Due Process and Price Intelligence Bureau, Alphonsus Ogar, assured the people that Governor Ayade is a man who does not forsake the poor and the down-trodden and that the people of Woda who have been neglected for a long time can now smile.
The Due Process and Price Intelligence Bureau boss who is popularly referred to as Okadigbo by his people told the people of Woda that the project which is about to be established by the Ayade administration is a project that will drive Cross River and the entire Nigeria out of recession, and that as a son of the soil he will not bring anything that will not work or be of any benefit to the people.
In his response, the village head of Woda, Ogamude Odey Ipoule commended the efforts of the Governor of Cross River, Senator Ayade for bringing development to the state and to his community in particular.
Ogamude expressed joy that his community has been identified and picked as the place for the location of the cotton farm and the ginnery factory, adding that with the development, they will be employment opportunities for his people and the entire Yala nation.
Also speaking the Youth President, Idah Anthony commended the state government for considering his community for the establishment of the cotton farm and the ginnery factory and assured that the entire people of Woda have agreed to give the land to government for acquisition.
Speaking on behalf of the women of the community, Lydia Joseph said that the entire women of Woda are behind Governor Ayade and that they were fully in support of the acquisition of 1000 hectares of land by government from the community for cotton cultivation.
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