… As Borno Governor Describes Dickson, Change Agent
The Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shetima has described the Countryman Governor of Bayelsa State, Henry Seriake Dickson as a change agent of the century! He said Dickson has not only revolutionised agriculture in Bayelsa State but has changed the negative narrative of the state by enthroning sustainable development and peace in the only homogenous Ijaw State.
A press statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary of the Governor of Bayelsa State, Francis Ottah Agbo noted that the Borno State Governor commended Dickson on Thursday while delivering a goodwill message at the maiden edition of the Nation Newspaper First Summit On Food and Agriculture which held at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja. Both Dickson and Shettima were also conferred with award of excellence in agriculture. Dickson was particularly honoured for the development of rural agro-business and for using agriculture generally to diversify the Bayelsa economy beyond oil, through wealth creation, training, retraining and skills acquisition in agriculture.
Chief amongst the legacy agriculture projects/programmes that earned Governor Dickson the award are: the 8 aquaculture villages in the state with a 500- Fish Pond at Yenegwe, Yenagoa as the flagship, the Commercial Cassava Plant Factory and Cassava Out Grower Scheme at Ebidebri, Oil Palm Plantation Development Projects, Integrated Poultry Farm Projects, Rice Development Initiatives, Ultra-Modern Fish Farm Projects etc.
Shettima said Nigeria can thrive on agriculture because according to him, all regions have comparative advantages, noting that the North is blessed with cereal, the middle belt can provide tuber needs while the south can provide the fish demand. He said if “we are serious as a nation, our national food security is guaranteed.
Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi also hailed Dickson for his initiatives in agriculture which he said are people-oriented. He averred that Bayelsa State has the capacity to be the rice hub of the nation, because the “land is fertile and water is available for irrigation…” and commended the Governor for working in this direction.
The Nation award was received on behalf of Dickson by his Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr. Doodei Week. Governor Dickson dedicated the award to the good people of Bayelsa State and the Ijaw Nation. The Governor commended Vintage Press Limited, publishers of the Nation newspapers for appreciating his modest efforts in Bayelsa State, stressing that the award will spur him to do more for Bayelsans.