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On assumption of office on January 27, 2016, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State adopted what he termed “A New Direction” in government. To pilot this new direction, he picked 18 commissioners for different ministries. Among them was Kehinde Oloruntoba, a former banker who was asked to oversee the Ministry of Budget Planning before he was later transferred to oversee the Ministry of Agriculture.
Having served for 13 years in the banking sector, the belief in some quarters was that his ability was best suited in the Budget Ministry. But Kehinde, a graduate of Industrial Chemistry has since proved them wrong. Indeed, it was not long before he brought the benefit of his experience and competence to bear in the Agriculture Ministry, which immediately began to witness a complete turn around, much to the delight of the Governor and the people of Kogi State.
This is in spite of the fact that Oloruntoba met a staggeringly redundant workforce, flagrant abuse of due process and indiscipline resulting in low productivity and several abandoned projects. Rather than bemoan the situation , he took the challenges head-on and mapped out strategies to put the ministry back on track inline with the “New Direction” of Governor Bello’s administration.
Realising that good governance is at the centre of delivering quality services to the people of Kogi State, the commissioner ensured that the workers of the ministry started complying with extant rules, adherence to due process and observance of public service code of conduct.
As a mark of his integrity and desire to help achieve result in the Bello administration, the Commissioner encouraged affiliate organisations ready to do business with the state government through his ministry to adhere to the policy of transparency and accountability, as well as the procurement processes. Having established the basic principles on which he will operate, the commissioner swung into action by addressing the challenges he met frontally.
For instance, as a way of ensuring that the state becomes one of the agricultural hub of the country, he ensured that it was in a position to play its part in the payment of counter-part fund to relevant agencies. He deployed significant human and capital resources to ensure that the agricultural blue print of the government works as envisaged.
Some of the projects include the CBN ANCHOR Borrower scheme targeted at youths under whose auspices close to 2000 youths from the state have been empowered to venture into commercial agriculture. Explaining why youths must embrace agriculture, he told them to understudy why successful people such as Aliko Dangote, Olusegun Obasanjo and others are into massive agricultural business.
Since his appointment, he had ensured the take off of the rice mills in Omi, the setting up of mass cassava production and Ethanol processing company in Jamata, the CRESS agro production scheme in Anyigba where cassava will be converted to starch and the ground work of the FG APPEAL farming scheme. Others are the 1000 pilot projects of irrigation farming; the GREEN House farming expected to be launched soon; the resuscitation of Confluence Fish Festival aimed at rivalling the Argungu fish festival; the clearing of 65 km Lokoja – Okene road side and planting of melon which were handed over to the local government to harvest, among others.
Under his watch, the state has now over 2000 youths employed through skill acquisition in rural development projects; establishment of rice programme with 1500 hectares of land under rice production and rice stable crop processing zone in Idah, Ibaji, Omi ongoing; coupled with the rice farms in Bassa, Kotonkarfe, Lokoja and Idah. Also credited to him is the acquisition of 10000 hectares of land in Ocharu for palm oil production (5000 seedling already planted), massive soya beans in selected LGAs and distribution of some farm input to farmers.
The planting of melon along the Lokoja-Okene road side has also served as an alternative means of security for people en-route that area.
What is remarkable about Oloruntoba’s administrative style is his ability to work on all the facets simultaneously for the benefit of the farmers. As part of the measures to ease movement of goods and services in the territory, the commissioner has been able to get lease of the Federal Government’s silo lying dormant at Zango, Lokoja. Under this arrangement, government can buy and store farm products there. The commissioner has also ensured that the state participated fully in the dry season farming, hence the payment of over N300 million counterpart funds towards the payment of farmers and other stakeholders involved in the wet season farming.
Already, it has invested heavily in cassava, cashew, cotton and other crops that the state has comparative advantage in. Indeed under Oloruntoba’s watch, agriculture has become a business and has gained prominent acknowledgement in the history of the state.
It is said that his spartan approach to governance has impacted positively on the state agricultural ministry. Similarly, his hard work and diligence has motivated the workers to be more dedicated and committed.
His decision to ensure that all the bottle necks surrounding the Alape Crop Processing Zone (one of the only five processing zones in Nigeria) is settled; which will make farmers from the state and residents of the zone the ultimate beneficiaries has been hailed in many quarters.
Of significant interest is the promise by the Agriculture Commissioner that by the end of this year, Confluence Rice will hit the market. He said the state will process about 50 tonnes of rice per day. According to him: “When the report card of this administration is written, agriculture will take a lead role. We (Kogi) want to be the leading producer of rice, cashew, and cotton in Nigeria. We have enough to feed not only the state, but the nation”.
– Boluwaji Obahopo, a journalist, wrote from Lokoja, Kogi State.
Credit: Vanguard
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