Okpebholo signs amended Agric bill into law

From Tony Osauzo, Benin

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, yesterday, signed into law, a bill amending the name and governing structure of the state School of Agriculture, which is currently being operated in three campuses.

He signed the bill into law when he received the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Blessing Agbebaku at the Government House in Benin City.

According to the bill recently passed by the House of Assembly, the school would now be known as the Edo State College of Agriculture, Science and Technology.

The newly rebranded College of Agriculture, Science and Technology will operate across three campuses with Iguoriakhi, the main campus, focusing on Agric technology, Uromi Campus for Forestry and Agenebode Campus for Aquaculture.

Speaking before the governor assented to the bill, Agbebaku noted that the amendment would ensure global best practices and proper training of students.

He assured that the amendments in the bill would ensure students from the institution will have practical and innovative agriculture skills to ensure food sufficiency.

“We are here to present to you the College of Agriculture bill that the house has just passed.

“Agriculture has gone scientific, we decided to re-amend the bill so that we can push agriculture into the system scientifically.

“The bill was first named, College of Agriculture and National Resources. But now, it has been amended by your instruction to be called College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, because agriculture has become scientific,” the Speaker said.

In his remarks, Okpebholo said the signing of the bill into law was a new dawn for the school and the state at large.

“Today is a new dawn for Edo State College of Agriculture. The amended law will bring about a lot of improvement in the school and the state would benefit from this development.

“These new changes will improve the students’ capacity in the school. This amended bill is coming at the right time when every state of the federation is charged with the responsibility of meeting its food consumption rate.

“We want to be able to produce at least 95 percent of what we consume as a people. We want to use agriculture to increase our internally generated revenue.

“This present law will help us create job opportunities for our teeming youths, in terms of livestock rearing and agricultural husbandry.

“This sector would educate our youths to focus on breeding, care and daily management of livestock to produce meat, milk, fibre and eggs,” the governor stated.