The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has urged the Ondo State Government to foster partnership synergy with the Federal Government to improve the agricultural sector in the state.
This call was made by the FMARD State Coordinator, Mr Tony Otuonye, during a courtesy visit to the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Olayato Aribo, on Wednesday in Akure.
He disclosed that there would be a lot of gains for the state government if they maintained a symbiotic relationship with FMARD.
Otuonye called on the state government to play its own roles, as such collaborations would enable them to get the Federal Government attention.
Speaking further, he explained that he was in the ministry to brief the commissioner about the FMARD projects in the state.
He also noted that communities, states and local governments, settlements, associations among others, had benefitted from the ministry in the state.
He also noted that communities, states and local governments, settlements, associations among others, had benefitted from the ministry in the state.
However, he frowned at the high rate of vandalisation of Federal Government’s projects in the state, urging the state government and communities for more adequate protection of projects, for their own benefits.
“Out of three solar boreholes at Ondo town, one has been vandalised completely and is no more useful for the community. Also at Akure town, one of the pumps of a solar borehole installed has been removed; it cost N650,000 as at then and now sold at more than N1million.
“At Ile-Oluji, in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo Local Government Area of the state where a giant warehouse was built, it has also been vandalised. Also at the same Ile-Oluji, a mini water treatment plant which cost the FG over N200 million, was not managed well and vandalised.
“I can assure you, if the place is managed well, it will empower many people in the community, especially if it’s in use and it will generate a lot of revenue for both the local and state governments.
“It now up to the state and local governments, communities and others to protect our projects for them to get more FG interventions.”
Responding, Mr Olayato Aribo, State Commissioner for Agriculture, appreciated the FMARD and state coordinator for the projects executed across the state. He called for more support and intervention from the Federal Government. Aribo, while speaking on projects vandalisation in the state, promised the state government’s readiness to protect all the FMARD projects.
“We are ready to partner more with the Federal Government to eradicate poverty in our society through agriculture; our people will be very happy to feel the impact of the Federal Government in the state.
“Though, I can say that Ondo State did not benefit much from the Federal Government through the Ministry of Agriculture, compared with the other states in the country, because ours is just five per cent.
“So, on vandalisation, the state government will do the needful. I am imploring our community leaders, Obas and chiefs to monitor and protect the Federal Government’s projects for the benefit of their communities,” he said.
