LG Chairman Orders Proper Maintenance Of College Of Agriculture
By Simeon OSAJIE
Ahead of the re-opening of the School of Aquaculture and Marine Studies Centre at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Agenebode, the Executive Chairman of Etsako East Local Government Area, Hon. (Princess) Benedicta Attoh has ordered the immediate clearing and evacuation of debris in and around the school environment.
Hon. Attoh gave the directive when she paid an on-the-spot assessment visit to the school in preparation for its reopening. She said the visit became necessary to secure the land and discourage activities of land grabbers.
She assured that the economic activities in the Local Government will be restored in no distant time as Government had mapped out strategic plans to develop the Local Government Headquarters.
According to her, “the School of Aquaculture and Marine Studies Centre at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Agenebode has been marked for re-opening soon and will resume academic activities to provide critical manpower and expertise to complement the effort of the State Government to diversify and build a self-sustaining economy.”
The Chairman maintained that the closure of the Institution was to enable the government to work on both human resources and infrastructural decay in the Institution to turn it into a foremost agricultural college in Nigeria to fill the existing gap in knowledge and human capital development.
“The reopening of the Institution is in line with the Governor’s Policy thrust and belief that agriculture is the backbone of Nigeria’s economy and not oil,” she asserted.
Hon. Attoh further stated that the scope of academic activities in the Agenebode College of Agriculture and Natural Resources would be expanded and widened to deepen the overall objectives of the Institution in the training, research, and practical Aquaculture and Marine activities that are uncommon in other institutions.
“With the reopening of this institution, the development of the manpower to drive the diversification effort of Government would have been addressed. Governor Godwin Obaseki is finishing strong in an era where others are at ease. The Governor has promised to turn Etsako East into a construction site and I can assure you that he will work his talk,” she said.
The Council boss also called on Banks, Corporate Organizations, and institutions to recognize Etsako East Local Government Area as an investment destination, adding that she is willing to partner with big investors in order to reinvigorate the economy of the Local Government.
According to her, “Etsako East Local Government has good electricity, water supply, good land mass and productive human resources with a comparative advantage of nearness to sea transportation to convey goods and services through the high sea, rather than using roads. We are ready to create the needed enabling environment for investors and development partners to take over and have value for their investment”.
