By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
The ongoing cocoa revolution initiative if the Governor Ben Ayade-led administration in Cross River State would certainly transformed many to millionaires in the state in the nearest future.
This was the contention of the Special Adviser, SA, to Senator Prof. Ayade on Cocoa Development and Control, Ntufam Dr. Oscar Ofuka.
Ofuka made the assertion while reacting to insinuations in certain quarters that the governor had performed below par with regards to production of tonnes of cocoa in the state.
The SA averred that it was based on the governor’s willingness to raise more millionaires that he decided to embarked on very aggressive cocoa regeneration, cultivation with thousands of improved variety seedlings, raised for the revival all moribund plantations that have existed for more than five decades
Ofuka maintained that the administration’s determination to raise more millionaires in the future propelled the state governor to embarked on the regeneration of the state-owned cocoa estates, which had gone moribund, with raising about 10,000 nursery in one of it’s attempts.
Ofuka said, “Thereafter, the government proceeded by raising another 100,000 improved variety nursery, which were givenout to interested persons across the three senatorial districts of the state, for revival of of it’s cocoa estates that may have also become moribund.”
Stressing that the nursery was distributed to farmers in the state at no cost to benefiaries of the seedlings, Ofuka added that the seedlings would help farmers in the senatorial districts to key into the governor Ayade’s cocoa revolution policy and assist the state to be at par with top cocoa producing nations of the world, like Cote d’Ivoire and Ondo State in Western Nigeria.
The Ayade aide added that with cocoa cash crop, Cross River State stands the chance of turning around it’s fortunes, rather than wait to be help by people who may not be willing to lend their helping hands.
Ofuka averred that the nursery has assisted in the revival of some reasonable hectares of government-owned cocoa estates, which would certainly bounced back in the nearest future.
Eulogizing the state governor for the stride in the encouragement of agribusinesses, by creating more employment opportunities for young people who before now used to roam the streets searching for white collar jobs that hardly exist, Ofuka called on youths to return to cocoa plantations to make money for themselves.
He said, “Yes I can say authoritatively that cocoa is the new oil, cocoa is like gold in Gold Coast. With cocoa, poverty would be a thing of the past.
“Cocoa is the only solution which can make our economy that is almost ailing bounce back to it’s feets.
“It’s the reason you see us doing replacement of the moribund stems cultivated some decades ago during the late Michael Okpara era, so that we can bring in new energy for the stems.”
He stressed that nursery is the only way to revive the estates that have become so sick due to old age.
He added, “The governor, who is my boss, is more emphatic about complete regeneration of cocoa production, which was abandoned decades backwards, when oil was discovered in the country.
He therefore urged residents of the state to, with no further delay, key into the Ayade’s cocoa revolution initiative, embrace the initiative, and go into cocoa farming, which is capable of transforming the state economy and make people of the state to become multi-billionaires, rather than roam the streets of the cities in search of jobs that may hardly exist.
