Kogi Govt Promises More Transparency, Good Governance

Kogi State Government says it will strive to maintain all the indices of good governance as it relates to transparency and accountability.

The State Deputy Governor, Yomi Awoniyi, made the promise when he received a delegation of the World Bank/FGN supervising mission to Kogi State, assured that all the good governance indicators as it relates to transparency and accountability requirement needed to make the crop processing zone proposed for the state a reality will be sustained.

The State Deputy Governor who received the team on behalf of Capt. Idris Wada the Kogi State Governor, said it has made access to land and issues related to land right and land tenure a priority in encouraging agriculture.

Awoniyi, described the State as blessed in the production of Cassava, disclosed that the selection of Kogi State by the World Bank to develop a Cassava Processing Zone is a well thought development.

The Deputy Governor called on the World Bank officials to present it action plan that would enable the State Government key into the success of the Cassava Processing Zone in the State.

Also speaking, Dr. Femi Abolarin Commissioner for Agriculture, said the World Bank/FGN supervising mission to Kogi State is aimed at concretising the bank’s support to the staple crop processing zone in Alape, commended Capt. Idris Wada for the priority given to Agriculture in the State.

Earlier in his speech, Dr. Abinbola Adubi, the task team leader of the World Bank said Kogi State was the only State selected by the bank to support its processing zone.

The project he noted is aimed at supporting the Agriculture transformation agenda of the Federal Government using existing fadama project to support issues of staple crop processing zone.

The project which he disclosed will attract about 700 million dollars for the fadama project, will give priority to crops as cassava, rice, horticultural crops, adding that Kogi State being the highest producer of cassava in the country was chosen as a State that will focus on cassava.

The team he noted is in the state to access implementation readiness of the State, visit the crop processing zone and interact with stakeholders, disclosed that the World Bank is irrevocably committed to make the project work.