Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBDA) has entered into partnership with the Nigeria Police to provide adequate security at the Songhai integrated farm in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State
Speaking during a call on the Divisional Police Officer, Bori by top management staff of NDBDA, managing director, Tonye David West, said partnering with the police was necessary to provide security to the over 84 hectares of farmland located at Kpon community.
This multi-million naira Federal Government sponsored project, he said, is dear to the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, because it has the propensity to create jobs and provide food sufficiency for Nigerians.
“As federal agencies, it is only important we partner with you to provide the needed security to the facilities we have at the farms. As you know, we are just about to go into full operations after successfully completing the construction of different infrastructural projects at the Songhai integrated farm.
“Our cardinal objective is hinged on the promise of President Mohammadu Buhari of providing food security to all Nigerians. We have also set machinery in motion to train the youths of the Niger Delta region on skill acquisition for self-reliance and improve their individual economic base.”
Tonye who owned up to the security challenges within the farm community, thanked the security agencies for changing the ugly narrative, adding that the constant presence of police patrol team within the farm settlement would stave off any form of security threat to the project.
“Since we are all federal government agencies, we do not need to work in isolation from each other. As partners, I want to assure you that we will do the best we can to ensure that your men do not have any problems in helping us to keep watch over the settlement. “It will also interest you to know that the farm settlement is capable of providing sufficient foods for the Niger Delta region.
“Our eggs, chickens, plantain, banana, fish and different cash crops will soon be on sale. There is also an opportunity to employ thousands of youths through direct and indirect labor”, he said. One of the core objectives of the federal government is food security. We have about 25,000 birds, eggs.”
The Bori DPO, Superintendent Bako Angbashim, called on the management of NDBDA to integrate cow grazing and rice farming in to project to create more jobs for the youths of the community as a way of diverting their minds from crimes.
“It was a big challenge to deal with rising insecurity situation in this community and the entire Ogoni kingdom in general. What I will want to plead with you is to integrate cow and rice farming into what you are doing. There is green vegetation here that cow can graze on.”