Monarch Advises On Sustainable Agric Strategies

HRM, Eze Emmanuel Opurum, the Ochie of Etche land has urged various governments in the country to de-emphasise its dependence on oil but rather direct their resources to developing the agricultural sector.

The Royal father who stated this in an exclusive interview with The Tide over the Weekend in Port Harcourt said that there was no doubt that in the near future, the oil wells would dry up and the economy will need an alternative source of revenue to drive its domestic and international needs.

“The oil industry will come to an end sometime to come and there is no doubt about that therefore any reasonable government have to prepare for a rainy day for the future to survive”.

He said the topography of Nigeria was such that every region has the potential to produce one crop or the other for its people and dispelled the notion that any region was indispensable for the production or supply of a certain type of food alone.

“Particularly because of the torpography in Nigeria, Southern Nigeria, infact, Northern Nigeria are potential areas to develop agriculture.

“And agriculture lasts even more than oil if developed so we advice very strongly that government should prepare for that.

The Etche land Monarch advocated the introduction of mechanised agriculture as according to him, it was the most effective way of providing employment for the teming unemploy youths of the Nation.

“Mechanised agriculture is the easiest way to provide employment for the youths of this country, therefore all the attention of government should be focused in that direction”.

Eze Opurum added that every part of Rivers State has been blessed to be self sustaining in one type of agricultural product or the other especially with the support of the local government councils for the rural population who were into subsistence farming.

“Infact every part of Rivers State has the potential to be self sustaining in food.”

Ikwerre, Ogba/Egbema, Etche, Abua/Odual, even in the Riverine areas, everywhere is bless”, he assured.