Bayelsa Denies Privatising Oil Palm Company

The Bayelsa Government has not privatised or sold its Bayelsa Palms located at Elebele in Yenagoa, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural resources, Chief Diekivie Ikiogha, has said.

Ikiogha, told newsmen in Yenagoa that the government only entered into partnership with a private firm.

Ikiogha said, “The state government entered into partnership with some Malaysian agricultural experts, who specialise in palm production under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.

“While the contract is renewable after a number of years the Bayelsa Palm would be expanded to cover another area of land covering 15 hectares”.

On the Federal Government’s loan to farmers, the commissioner said the House of Assembly and the state executive council would rectify it as part of the condition for accessing the loans.

According to him, government has acquired 30 hectares for the Green House project at Otuasega in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.

He said that another 500 hectares was acquired for rice projects at Isampou, Bama, Peremabiri and Kolo, all in Bayelsa, adding that work on the projects were expected to start soon.

Ikiogha also said that the government would take over the cassava centre owned by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture at Gbarain and would extend agriculture to the grass-roots level.