Mimiko plans alternative power supply for Ondo revolutionary Agriculture Village
Determined to ensure the success of its agricultural revolution which is expected top take off over one million youths off the streets and turn them into employers of labour, the Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko on Monday disclosed that arrangements were at advanced stage to develop alternative means of power supply to the Caring Heart Agricultural Village at Ore in Odigbo local government area of the state.
Dr. Mimiko who gave this assurance while conducting the Director of Prototype Engineering Development Institute Ilesha, Dr. Razak Adetunji and the Acting Director of the Engineering Materials Development Institute Akure, Mr Bankole Olunlade round the village, located along Benin-Ore expressway to workout modalities for the development of machine tools and hydro-power system to service the village due to high cost of generating sets.
Dr Mimiko, who re-iterated his administration's determination to fight hunger and poverty in the state, expressed happiness at the level of commitment and the zeal of the 1,000 participants of the agric scheme that he met on the farm during the inspection visit.
The Agric V illage, which is the pilot of the agricultural revolution programme of the state government, according to Governor Mimiko, came into existence so as to create employment opportunities for the youth and prepare them to be self-reliant in animal husbandry, poultry farming, fishery and mushroom farming among others. The Village is the first in the series of such Agriculture Villages to be sited in the State in due course. Two other would be sited in Epe, in OndoEast and Auga Akoko in Akoko South East Local Government areas of the State.
His words: “It is exciting that the participants feel happy, feel fulfilled, they are excited about the programme and for us that is what will sustain this wonderful experiment. Everybody is excited; there is high expectation, there is hope, no doubt there is bright future here, you can see the joy on the faces of the participants, four years down the road, a lot of them will be counting millions. Now they are specialized, some in arable farming, some in animal husbandry, fish farming, some in poultry farming and they will be well equipped.
“There is no doubt in my mind that we are solving the number one challenge in our land, which is youth unemployment. If we don't do something now, the future of some of us, I don't want to sound like prophet of doom, if we don't do something about youth unemployment, there is problem ahead, but I'm sure if we leverage on our endowment, our arable farmland by the grace of God we'll achieve success”.
The Director of Prototype Engineering Development Institute Ilesha, Dr Razak Adetunji and his counterpart in the Engineering Materials Development Institute Akure, Mr Bankole Olunlade, commended the state government's initiative, saying their visit was to find a way of providing alternative to power supply to the farm through hydro-power system and to develop machines for use in the farm.