Go back to your farms, Jonathan tells northerners

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

President Goodluck Jonathan has said it is time for Northerners, especially people from Kaduna state to go back to agriculture and take it as a serious business in order to return the region to the era when it was known for its groundnut pyramids, cotton and rice production, and in fact was the food basket of the nation.

The President, who stated this during the official commissioning of the new Government House complex, in Kaduna yesterday, said the North is naturally blessed with good arable land that can be turned into a huge source of revenue if the people would, judiciously utilize it.

“In those days the north was the leader in agricultural products and all the country depended on them for food and industrial products.

“The sector provides employment to millions of people from the region but it is hard to note that the region today is looking for alternative to their natural resources which does not augur well for it; therefore, I call on you, as a brother, that it is time to go back to the agric sector,” he said.

President Goodluck Jonathan also expressed satisfaction with the continuation plan instituted by Kaduna state governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, to see that all projects awarded by the past administration were completed before new ones were embarked upon.

Jonathan further commended the people of Kaduna state, for sustaining the peaceful atmosphere currently being enjoyed in the state saying that, the state in the past had witnessed some security challenges, which led to loss of lives and property, but today, the state is enjoying relative peace.

In his own remarks, the host Governor, Ramalan Yero, said the project being commissioned was started during the administration of the Vice President, and in line with his continuity programme, decided to complete the complex and that is why it is ready today for commissioning.

The new Kaduna State Government House complex was awarded in 2008 by the then administration of Arc Mohammed Namadi Sambo, to Julius Berger, with the sum of N8billion expended on the project, which has the main building, a basement, ground floor, first floor and pent house.