The Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Amb Ihunwo Chijioke, has entered into an agreement with a private company for the management of the Obio/Akpor Fish Farm located in Rumuekini.
The partnership is to enable the company oversee the day to day running of the fish farm and also grow the facility in many ways.
During the official flag off on Wednesday as part of activities to mark his one hundred days in office, the chairman explained that he intends to begin the exportation of fishes to other LGAs and states of the federation in the next three months.
He said the initiative was part of a deliberate plan by his administration to create jobs through entrepreneurship in order to take as many people off the streets.
According to him, “one of my cardinal programs is job creation for our people, that is why I sat down with my team and discussed how we can revitalize this fish farming that was established in 2010 by the Timothy Nsirim led administration but with no direction, so we have reorganized this place and will be working with a private company to put it to optimal use.
“My advice to the company is to ensure that members of the host communities are carried alone in every of their activities, they should also know that they have three months to prove to us that they have the competence to do this work, as a local government we intend to begin the exportation of fishes in the next three months and turn our LGA into an investment hub.”
Earlier, the manager of Mid-East fisheries, the partner in the project, Mr Gabriel Wuche assured the chairman that there will be significant progress in the next three months.
He said the company has a name in fishery and other agricultural services.
“As a company we deal on all kinds of fisheries and modern ways of feeding animals. Mr chairman, we thank you for your foresight in reviving this fish farm, we assure you that this company will provide employment opportunities for the people of Obio/Akpor and Rivers State in general.
“We are certain that this place will be the epicentre for fish farming in the next few months. Mr chairman, let me assure that you will not regret using an indigenous contractor for this work.”
In his welcome address, the chairman of the 100 days committee, Prince Aruchi Amechi, noted that the launch of the fish farm was part of the celebration of the milestone recorded by the Executive Chairman in just one hundred days in office.
“This property was acquired in 2010 for the purpose of having a farm for the LGA but since then, this place has been left unattended to by successive administrations but it took the wisdom and foresight of the present chairman, Ambassador Chijioke Ihunwo to breathe life back into this farm.”
Ihunwo was accompanied by the Vice Chairman of the council, Mrs Sophia Amarachi Nkoro and some of his aides.
