Fadama III: C’River Assures On Counterpart Funds

Governor Ben Ayade of
Cross Rivers State has assured the Federal Government and donor partners of prompt payment of the counterpart funds for Fadama III additional financing project in the state.
Ayade gave the assurance in Calabar during the launching of the Fadama III additional financing project.
” Let me quickly reassure, therefore, that, we shall honor all previous obligations for accessing funds through the prompt release of counterpart funds.”
He described Agriculture as the bedrock of development of any nation, adding that the state had the potentials to become one of the food baskets of the country.
“As a state, we are blessed with vast arable land and suitable climatic conditions in participating in different agricultural value chains,” he said.
Ayade advised farmers in the state to key into fadama 111 A+ project and other programmes to better their lots and increase the revenue base of the state.
He reminded the benefiting farmers that the funds that would be disbursed to them were strictly meant for business and warned against waste or mismanagement.
The governor urged project managers and supervisors to closely monitor the project implementation by the beneficiaries in order to expand cassava production in the state.
Speaking, the State Project Coordinator, Mr Bassey Elemi, said Cross River was selected to participate in the additional financing due to its excellent performance in the last Fadama 111 project, between 2009 and 2015.
He commended the state government for paying all its counterpart funds for the project implementation which facilitated the selection of the state for the AD+ project.
Elemi urged beneficiaries to do everything possible to make the project succeed as it would give the state opportunity to draw more from the $200 million World Bank funds.
He said a total of 970 hectares have been earmarked for the take off of the project which would last till Dec. 31st 2017, with cassava production as the states comparative advantage.
He said the cassava farms were scattered in Akpabuyo, Yala, Bekwara and Obudu Local Government Areas of the state.
Our correspondent reports that stakeholders in Agriculture sector in the state attended the event.