Kebbi’s Rice Mill: Fayose  Must Learn from Performing Governors, Says  Faparusi 

As Acting President Yemi Osinbajo last week commissioned a N10 billion Rice Mill in Kebbi State, a  member of the seventh House of Representatives,  Hon Bamidele Faparusi , has advised Ekiti State Governor to learn from other performing governors  on how best to boost the revenue of the state .

Faparusi lauded the feat achieved by Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, saying  such  could have been easily achieved by  Governor Fayose if he had shifted attention to rice production where  the state has immeasurable  comparative advantage  with its long standing ‘Igbemo rice’.

The governorship aspirant appealed to Fayose to place high premium on how best to improve the standards of living of Ekiti populace by stopping distributing  what he called ‘a highly debasing sachets of rice to people as if they were beggars”.

In a statement in Ado Ekiti , on Monday, the  Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC),  lamented how the PDP-led government has upgraded  the act of begging to a statecraft , in Ekiti  that was proudly regarded as the Fountain of Knowledge.

He said what Governor Bagudu’s did in rice production in Kebbi has launched the state to  global reckoning and confirmed that the governor was prepared to serve and deliver the democratic dividends to the citizens.

“The entire Nigerians were aware of the comparative advantage Ekiti has in rice production. The local Igbemo rice has become a household delicacy the people sought after because of its nutritional values.

“Since Governor Fayose came on board, he never keyed into any of the federal government’s policies in agriculture. There were free cocoa seedlings  scheme, Mass Rice  Production  programme , Yam for export scheme , but  he  preferred  to give the populace peanuts  than embracing  such lofty programmes  just because of politics.

“Anambra and Ebonyi States which are in the opposition  had keyed into mass rice production scheme. With time, Ebonyi State  will be producing over 30% of rice consumable  in the country. You can imagine what will be the effect of this on GDP and the revenue of that  state.

“On daily basis, Governor  Fayose  pursed debasement of our collective pride  with vigour by distributing  a congo of rice and a packet of indomie to grown up people thereby promoting  beggary and indolence among our citizens.

“There is nothing wrong in learning.

Now that it is evident that Governor Fayose has little or no grasp of how best to run the economy, let him take a month leave and visit Kebbi, Ebonyi or Lagos State and understudy how they have boosted  their  economies through  the instrumentality of agriculture.

“Ekiti State is agrarian and has favourable climatic and edaphic conditions to make profitable exploits in the sector. We appeal to him to take governance serious and invest in this area to make life meaningful for those who voted him into office”.

Faparusi assured that the 2018 governorship poll presents another opportunity for people to vote a party and personality with the requisite  academic and mental knacks to lead the state  in the most dignifying and rewarding fashions.