05/08/2024
Engr Udengs Eradiri OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR OF BAYELSA STATE H.E. SEN Douye DIRI ON HOW TO CURB HUNGER.
People are hungry, and immediate action is needed. I urge Governor Diri to implement Quick Win projects to infuse money into the streets and economy of Bayelsa. Here are my recommendations:
1. *Drainage Cleaning:* With the floods approaching, it's crucial to clean the drainages in the state capital and key local governments. Group youths into teams of 10 and allocate between 5 million to 10 million naira for each group to clean the drainages.
2. *Street Painting:* Engage youths in painting streets and walkways in the state and local government headquarters. This initiative will not only beautify our surroundings but also inject money directly into the streets.
3. *Land Clearing for Agriculture:* Agriculture is vital, but our first hurdle is land preparation. The government should earmark funds for land preparation as an intervention, empowering the people of Bayelsa across the three senatorial districts.
4. *Crop Planting:* We can start planting cassava, sugarcane, sweet potatoes, yams, peppers, and vegetables. These crops are familiar to our people. What we need is mechanization, monitoring, access to seedlings, pesticides, and funding, which Bayelsa State can provide.
5. *Revive Igbogene Fish Farm:* This project must move beyond lip service and provide practical solutions to the food crisis in the state.
6. *Ebedebiri Cassava Processing Facility:* Utilize this facility by setting up logistics and offtake units to source cassava within the state. This will encourage more farming and job creation. Additionally, revive the 45,000-bird capacity poultry farm at Ebedebiri to boost local livestock production.
7. *Revive Bayelsa Palm:* Palm oil is a significant business in Nigeria. By bottling and packaging palm oil, we can make it affordable and generate revenue while creating jobs. This facility can partner with local producers, encouraging more production and supply to Bayelsa Palm.
8. *Engage Youth Groups:* Form groups of young men and women to participate in these Quick Win projects. Start with a budget of one billion naira, which is a small investment compared to the scale of our problems. Scale up based on the initial outcomes, but ensure the government is committed to these solutions and avoids politicization.
9. *Support Indigenous Contractors:* Ensure that the companies awarded contracts employ Bayelsans, including indigenous contractors and women, for supply tasks.
The governor should , please organize town hall meetings to gather more information and input from Bayelsans on solving our problems. Nobody cares about Bayelsa in the broader Nigerian context. Only we Bayelsans can solve our issues.
Thank you.
Engr. Udengs Eradiri