By Kehinde Oluwatayo
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Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi  has said that the state government will invest more in agriculture to create jobs, reduce poverty and empower the citizens.

Egbeyemi made this known in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Odunayo Ogunmola in Ikole-Ekiti.

He said that the Kayode Fayemi-led administration has identified agriculture as a sector the government would invest in to take many jobless youths off the streets.

He said this while hosting a delegation from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) led by a consultant to the agency, Dr. Oyesola Oyebanji.

He said that the state government had issued a letter of commitment to IFAD on a Value Chain Development Programme, adding that “agriculture has multiplier effects on the economy”.

“My governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, is highly committed to agriculture, we want to remove young men from the streets and put them into farming business. If they go to farming, they will become better financially.

“The masses will buy food from them and apart from that, if you plant cassava, there are people who will make garri out of it and there are people who will be selling garri.

“So it has multiplier effect, for this, we are going to embrace this scheme sincerely,” he said.

Egbeyemi said that the present administration would take care of all Ekiti people irrespective of their party affiliation in provision basic of amenities such as good roads, potable water, electricity and other infrastructure.

The deputy governor made this known when he visited Egbe Dam, one of the largest dams in the state which he said had the capacity to serve many communities in the state and neighbouring Ondo State, according to the statement.

Egbeyemi said that machinery had been put in motion to power the dam in order to get water across to people of the town and its suburbs.

“We are going round Ekiti to visit abandoned projects, if you get to the dam here, it cost us millions of naira, we are only left with the installation of a power generator that will power it.

“Once that is done within the next six months, you will begin to enjoy water supply and other towns around including our neigbouring state will benefit from it,” Egbeyemi said.

He said that the state government had invited a private investor to revive the Plywood factory at Iluomoba-Ekiti with the capacity to absorb 200 workers.

Earlier, the Consultant to IFAD commended the State government for showing readiness to partner with the institute.

Oyebanji said that out of the six states visited, Ekiti was the only one that issued a letter of commitment to the institute.

“I would like to commend the State government, out of the six states we have been to, it is only Ekiti State that has given us letter of commitment, that shows the importance you have attached to agricultural development in the state.”

The consultant, who explained that the scheme would focus on cassava and rice production, said Ekiti had the potential for rice and cassava production, processing and marketing.