Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has announced the extension of the partial lockdown of the state for another two weeks to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic in the state.
The Governor also announced the downward review of the 2020 budget from N195 billion to N119 billion in line with recent happenings across the globe.
Ortom disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the end of the joint State Executive Council / Action Committee on COVID-19 meeting which held at the New Banquet Hall of Government House in Makurdi on Wednesday.
He explained further that the downward review of the budget became necessary after considering the input of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that the 2020 recession would be worse than that of 2015.
“IMF put the global recession of 2015 at 1.5 percent and that of 2020 is put at 3.4 percent. That means the 2020 recession will double that of 2015.”
He said it was in that regard that the state government has decided to tap into agriculture as an area where the state has comparative advantage by going into massive production of food through farming.
“We have to take advantage of what we have in the state by ensuring that we have enough food to feed our people and also to feed the nation.
“So, for everyone who resides in Benue, we must do something that will add value to the state. Therefore, there should be no more empty land in Benue state. Everyone must go into agriculture. Let every empty land in Benue be cultivated and used for food production to add value to food security.
The Governor maintained that a strategic committee headed by himself had been set up to drive the course of the massive food Production.
“The committee will look at the entire agricultural value chain to ensure that there is enough food for the people as well as increase in the Internally Generated Revenue of the State. We are taking reactive steps to ensure compliance by the people.
“We will continue to appeal and advise them to comply with the measures put in place by government because the State does not have the capacity for palliative measures in the event of a total lock down.
“The essence is even when you don’t have money to buy clothes or shoes, you must have food to feed your family. That’s why we are saying while we observe all the safety measures against COVID-19, we must all go to our farms and produce food, maintaining social distancing while working.
“We must look inwards and see what we can do. The entire world is now shut down and nobody is buying our crude anymore even with the reduced prices.
“Let us go into massive agriculture. The committee will ensure massive IGR is also generated from the state. We seek the support of the Benue people in this regard. We have identified areas we shall do land clearing to support farmers to farm.
He stated that the dusk to dawn curfew placed on the state still stands adding that government would not relent in its efforts to continue to safeguard the lives of the people.