Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has disclosed that Nigeria is currently developing the oil palm sector to take over from crude oil as number one income earner.
Just as it is leading in the crude oil sector, Akwa Ibom State, has been alerted to strategically position itself to take the lead in this alternative revenue source.
Addressing a special All Progressives Congress (APC) rally at Odot, headquarters of Nsit Atai Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom state, Osinbajo disclosed that the area had been discovered to lead the economic diversification plan of the Federal Government because of its potential in oil palm production.
The Vice President said Nsit Atai and other Akwa Ibom communities have become very significant, not in population but by the strategic role it plays for the state and national development.
To properly manage such community based revenue generating venture, Osinbajo said the APC would also establish Entrepreneur Bank to enhance small scale businesses for women and youths if the party is voted into power.
The bank when established, according to him, would give loans to youths and women at very low interest rate to improve their businesses.
He likened Buhari’s second term electioneering promises to the APC’s 2015 promises to provide five million jobs. This he said gave rise to the N-Power.
“N-Power is only the beginning; we are starting something called the entrepreneur bank. That bank is for giving loans to men and women like this in N-Power who have a plan for the future.
“The loans will be given to them at very little interest rate so that they can start their own businesses, and so that they can make progress.
“When we said in 2015 that we will start N-Power, they said it is impossible, how can you employ 500,000 people but we have done it.
“When said we are going to do home grown school feeding, today we are feeding 9.2million children all over Nigeria. They say it is impossible but home grown school feeding is here. Home grown school feeding used 6.8million eggs in one week, and we are expanding it.
“If you are a young man or woman here and you vote for PDP, know that you are living in the past, every young man or woman must go to the next level.
“If you have voted PDP in the past, apologize and say we are going to the next level, I cannot remain on the same level. The next level is where it is happening. Everything we said we will do, we have already done and we will do more,” he said.
He therefore urged Akwa Ibom people to bury political sentiments while rallying round the APC-led Federal Government to return to the centre in the February 16 polls.
“You must ensure the return of the APC so that you become part of the Next Level,” Osinbajo said and enjoined the people of Nsit Atai to shun all entreaties of the PDP, as the APC had concluded plans to boost the N-Power scheme with additional incentive for the beneficiaries.
He pointed out that President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has intervened in various sectors of the economy to improve the living condition of the people, especially the School Feeding Programme (SFP).
He disclosed that the scheme has taken care of no fewer than 9.2 million basic schools’ pupils feeding on quality meals’ components including 6.2 million eggs every week.
“You must be ready to get to the next level,” he implored and warned the people to change their mind set concerning the desperate moves by the former ruling PDP to return to the centre.
In the same vein, former Governor Godswill Akpabio; the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to Buhari, on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang; former Minister of Petroleum, Atuekong Don Etiebet; the Managing Director (MD) of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA), Obong Umana Okon Umana and the governorship candidate of the APC in Akwa Ibom, Obong Nsima Ekere; the state APC Chairman, Hon. Ini Okopido, indulged the congregation to be part of the process towards the entrenchment of one party system of APC in Nigeria.
SOURCE: oglinks.news
