Akwaibom State Government To Revamp Akwa Palm Estate
The Akwa Ibom State Government has taken over the management of Dakkada Global Oil Palm Limited (previously known as Akwa Palm Estate) in order to increase palm oil production and strengthen the state’s economy.
According to the governor who visited the farm,intruders should stay away from the farm, as there will be serious legal consequences for any trespass.
The palm farm cut across six communities in Esit Eket, Urueffong Oruko, and Mbo Local Government Areas of the state.
The village representatives of Etebi Idung Asan, Etebi Akwa Ata, Unyanga, Udung Uko, Ntak Inyang and Orukem, including their heads and youth leaders, have committed to handing the oil palm plantation over to the state government in order to hasten its improvement and progress.
Governor Umo Eno addressed the communities, stating that he led a state delegation on a fact-finding mission to evaluate the progress made at the farm with the intention of the government taking it over.
He expressed his gratitude to the former Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, for the investments he had made so far.
He recalled that he was appointed Executive Director of Agriculture Investment to revive the plantation by the previous administration, a task he carried out diligently until his departure from office.
He commended Governor Udom Emmanuel for his insight in reviving the Oil palm farm. “We came here today to ensure that we continue with the work on this facility, to inspect and know what has happened so far. I was appointed the Executive Director of Agric Investment by the Administration of Deacon Udom Emmanuel and his mandate on me was to revive this plantation. It is not my administration that revived it but the Administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel. We must give credit to whom credit is due. If he did not give me money to put here we wouldn’t be here today,” he stated Governor Eno announced that he had invited the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to join the project, thus enabling the state to benefit from the Bank’s Oil Palm Development Initiatives.
As a result, Governor Emmanuel approved two hundred million naira to kick-start the project. “So we thank him for the foresight that he had and gave us the lead way to start this work.
We graded all the roads leading to this plantation and met with the chiefs, community and youth leaders before we started.
We brought the CBN here because we wanted and still want to key into the CBN Oil Palm Development initiatives.
Other states are benefiting so Akwa Ibom has to benefit. We know we had an asset that if we develop properly, we can benefit from this facility that the then Governor gave us that right.
Agro Nigeria / Foluke Ibitomi
