THE Delta State Governor, Chief Sheriff Oborevwori, on Tuesday, February 13, said the successful inauguration of a 10-metric tonnes per hour oil palm processing mill at Akwukwu-Igbo in Oshimili North Local Council was a great addition to the local economy and an excellent example of public private partnership.
Oborevwori, in his remarks at the inauguration of the plant at Norsworthy Farms and Agro-Allied Industries in Akwukwu-Igbo, commended his predecessor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, for supporting the establishment of the farm.
He stated: “It is my pleasure to be here today to inaugurate this ultra-modern oil processing plant, which is a great addition to our local economy and an excellent example of public private partnership.
“It is a glorious opportunity for us to maximise our comparative advantage in oil palm production and transformation of the agricultural landscape in the state.
“I salute the courage and industry of Mr. Gabriel Ogbechie, an outstanding businessman and Chairman of Norsworthy Farms Limited, an exemplary Deltan that has demonstrated his love and commitment to the economic development of the state through massive investments and creation of job opportunities for our people.
“Aside this multi-billion naira farm, his investments in RainOil petrol stations are found in every nook and crannies of the state.”
The governor urged other successful businessmen from the state to emulate Ogbechie in investing in the state’s economy by channeling their investments home, saying: “No matter where your investments are, home is the best. What you are doing is something you will be remembered for.
“As a government, we are very proud to be part of this project, which holds strong prospects for the urbanisation of the host community and more employment opportunities for our teeming youth population.
“It goes without saying that beautiful investments like this in the non-oil sector will aid economic diversification, enhance the business competitiveness of the state and stimulate exports.
“One reason we are having problems with foreign exchange is because we are always importing, so by the time we start exporting, the value of the dollar will start coming down.”
He commended the efforts of previous administrations in the state, which are yielding results, urging Norsworthy Farms to spread its tentacles by also investing in Delta Central and South senatorial districts of the state, assuring that “our administration is determined to boost food security by encouraging farmers with already-made markets for their products and make agricultural farm produce exportable for value addition.”
He assured prospective investors that Delta was peaceful, stable and welcomes all investors to come to the state, as their investments would be safe.
“The Delta State Public and Private Property Protection Law prohibits forceful entry and illegal occupation of public and private landed property, violent and fraudulent conducts in relation to private and public property is in full force.
“With this law, the issue of deve, land grabbing is now a thing of the past and even recently, we inaugurated a task force to stop encroachment of all lands fully acquired by the state government.
“Let me assure you that your request for 10,000 hectares of land is achievable, but must be spread across the three senatorial districts. Oshimili North Local Council is already preparing for the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) here, so other local governments should also benefit from such investments.
“We are very very proud of your accomplishments, because you are not just only investing in oil; you are also diversifying and this one impacts our people more, because it creates more jobs.”
Okowa, while congratulating Norsworthy Farms, urged other wealthy citizens to invest in palm oil production, bemoaning the importation of palm oil into the country, even as he appreciated the communities who donated land for the farm.
The former governor said the out growers scheme would improve the economy of the local communities around, urging them to key into the project.
Earlier, Ogbechie lamented that Nigeria had transitioned from being a net exporter to net importer of palm oil.
While commending Oborevwori and Okowa for supporting the establishment of the farm, Ogbechie promised to upscale investments in the state’s agricultural value chain.
