BY Bukola Adama
The Kwara State Government has approved the establishment of Farm Produce Commodity Board to assist the Offtaker Demand Driven Agriculture (ODDA).
This was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Alhaji Mahmud Babatunde Ajeigbe while briefing newsmen shortly after the State Executive Council, held at Government House, Ilorin, yesterday.
He explained that the Board that will be private sector driven is expected to assist the Offtaker Demand Driven agriculture to achieve its aims and objectives.
He said the Board that is expected to also promote agric business would be revamped in line with current reality in agriculture sector and benchmark against best practices.
The commissioner added that the council directed the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to send an executive bill to the state House of Assembly to consider former establishment of the Board.
He also said the council approved the embedment of Monetary and Evaluation policy in all transactions activities of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Ajeigbe explained that the council directed the Ministry of Planning and Budget to monitor the implementation of the policy.
However, the state Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed has warned against hate and incitement speeches capable of causing public disorder.
Briefing newsmen, the Senior Special Assistant, Media and Communications, Dr Muhideen Akorede said the council enjoined politicians, political commentators, clergymen and others to desist from utterances that could cause disturbance.
He also told newsmen that the council directed the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to informed the law enforcement agencies about the council’s resolutions and that anyone found wanting would be made to face full wrath of the law.
Akorede also said the state commissioner for Health, Atolagbe Alege informed the council that the state had emerged the second in the implementation of save 1million lives programme of the World Bank in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health in the North Central.
He explained that the commissioner also told the council that the state also emerged the sixth in the whole country.
The governor’s aide explained that the state was assessed on the basis of maternal and child health, immunisation, contraceptive prevalence rate, usage of long lasting insecticide treated net, delivery support and improvement of Health care services.
He further disclosed that the state had been selected among 12 states that were to benefit from the second phase of the programme.
