Abia Governor, Dr. Alex Otti has expressed his willingness to partner with an Israeli agricultural expert and investors to grow the State’s economy.
Governor Otti who made his intentions known when he received in audience a delegation of an Israeli based agricultural investor and the Managing Director of ONIDA Development, Mr. Kidron Isreal who called on him in his office, said that the government can provide land as government’s own equity to the investment.
“Watching the presentation and listening to you, I could see that we are going to work together.
“So, I am in a hurry to see that you begin to implement this initiative to boost productivity in the State. The Land belongs to government and we are willing to provide land.
“Because we are involved, even if you have to pay anything, it will be insignificant as the provision of land can also be our own equity to the investment,” Gov. Otti stated.
The Governor directed the delegation to sit down with the government’s team and work out what they could jointly do to fast track the whole process so as to commence work as quickly as possible, adding that the areas of vegetables and fish production are good places to start from while other areas could be explored later.
The State Chief Executive who thanked the delegation for coming to Abia, disclosed that Abia people are very enterprising and do not rely on government for survival but only need enabling environment, which his government has been providing.
“We are very friendly to businesses because we are business – oriented and our people are business people.
“Our people don’t care so much about government, once you create the enabling environment for them, for their businesses to do well
In his address earlier, the Managing Director ONIDA Development, Mr. Kidron Isreal, said that what they need from the state government is an enabling environment and land within the State for the project to take-off, assuring that they have contacts for financing the investment.
Mr Israel explained that Abia State was chosen for the collaboration because of the Governor’s approach to partnerships and the transformations he has brought into governance.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator, Nigeria- Israel Forum, Mrs. Florence Osuji, said that they were in the State to introduce Israeli agricultural expertise and technology to see how they could collaborate in improving food security.
Mrs Osuji enumerated the areas of interest to include fish production, vegetables, poultry among others.
The Abia State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze, his Finance counterpart, Mr. Uwaoma Ukandu and the Principal Secretary and Chief Strategy Officer to Abia State Government, Mr. Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu were present during the meeting.
