Pamela Eboh, Awka
The Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA) leader in Anambra State, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, has called on the federal government to make a policy on agriculture as a way of moving away from total oil dependence and embracing cocoa which was in the past the chief export of Nigeria.
He made the call yesterday in Awka while addressing journalists on the state of economy saying that famers need to be positioned to embark on massive cocoa production for creation of wealth and enhanced economy.
Ezeemo said that such agricultural policy would not only make farmers to be eager in their cocoa production but will also boost economic revenue of the country if well articulated.
The Anambra industrialist while observing that Nigeria had occupied the number one position in the world as cocoa producers regretted that agriculture was hurriedly abounded due to oil boom.
He noted that there is still time to place priority on cocoa production and in so doing reclaim the number one position in cocoa production in the world.
Ezeemo further said that placing interest in cocoa production in the country would help to create jobs for the teeming youths, bring back moribund industries that produce various beverages with cocoa as raw materials and also give room for export as well as increase internally generated revenue of country.
He said: “All hopes of being giant in production of cocoa again is not lost as cocoa farmers’ Association (CFA) still exist and as such, the group could be utilised to gather all peasant farmers on cocoa production and skilled agriculturalist for idea exchange and the way forward.
“Going back to cocoa production in the country to seek return to number one position the country was before oil discovery and boom would assist the country to earn foreign exchange through export and importantly, bridge unemployment gap.”
•PPA chieftain Godwin Ezeemo.
