Tony Osauzo, Benin
Edo State acting Governor, Philip Shaibu, has assented to three laws amended by the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA).
The amended laws are the Edo State Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Law 2018; provisions of the Land Bill, Rates and Charges payable in Edo State into a single charge to be called Land Use Charge, and the Edo State Local Government Uniform and Harmonised Levy, Rate, Fees and Charges Law 2017.
The acting governor thanked the Speaker and leadership of the House of Assembly for their continued cooperation and support in ensuring that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration succeeds in developing the state.
“This Sixth Assembly has done something phenomenal by passing our bills in record time, and Governor Obaseki commends the dedication of the assembly,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state government said it has secured N5 billion loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), under the Commercial Agric Credit Scheme, for rice and maize production across the three senatorial districts of the state.
Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Agriculture, Food Security and Forestry, Joe Okojie, who made the disclosure, yesterday, said the state is targeting to harvest 17,000 tonnes of rice and 11,000 tonnes of maize by cultivating 6,600 hectares of land at the end of this year’s planting season.Okojie, who spoke with journalists shortly after sensitising 200 farmers at Illushi, Esan South East Local Government Area, on how they would assess the loan, said N2.2 billion would be used for crop production, N2.3 billion for land development and N100 million for irrigation.
He also said N1.2 billion would be used to cultivate rice in Iguoriakhi, Iguomon, Illushi, Warrake and Agenebode, while maize would be cultivated at Usugbenu, Sobe and Ekpoma. “We hope to produce millionaire farmers this year; we do not anticipate a drop in the price of rice, so, we are hoping to produce about 17,000 metric tonnes cultivating about 4,400 hectares of rice farm.“We took about N5 billion loan under the commercial agric credit scheme. About N2.2 billion is for crop production, N2.3 billion is for land development and N100 million for irrigation.“We are not doing cassava now, but maize. We are looking to cultivate about 2,200 hectares and we are hoping we’ll be able to harvest approximately 11,000 metric tonnes.”