Abia state Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, says his administration is advancing plans to revitalize the moribund Ogwe Golden Chicken for the economic development of the State.
Governor Otti disclosed this while receiving in audience a delegation of an Israeli – Agro business Investment Company, AgroTop Isreal led by the Business Development Manager, Mr. Ofer Zuntz and their development partners from Max Agro Farm.
The Governor while noting that his administration is undertaking the resuscitation of similar moribund State’s investments abandoned by previous administrations also promised that the Government’s team would deepen discussions with the team with a view to considering the concession of the Ogwe Golden Chicken to them to improve productivity in the State.
“Farming generally and specifically, poultry is an important aspect of our strategy. In the past, there has been poultry farms around the State that actually did well.
“One of them is the Ogwe Golden Chicken. It has been abandoned for a while but we have plans to get it back to life just like we are getting back to life, a lot of other abandoned industries and projects.
“So, we are not going to start from ground zero because there is something on ground. It may have become obsolete; technology may have moved but at least we have a location.
“By the time we ask all the questions and we are satisfied that you are the right partners, we can begin to think of concesioning the farm to you and your partners.
Governor Otti, who described as interesting the fact that the Israeli company has established its presence in over 50 countries around the world, said that the State would be happy to partner with them in various agricultural value chains including piggery. He thanked them for coming and bringimg such business proposal to Abia State.
Speaking earlier, the leader of the delegation and the Business Development Manager, AgroTop Israel, Mr. Ofer Zuntz said that they are interested in partnering Abia State in the area of agriculture particularly, livestock, including poultry, piggery among others.
He said that working together with Abia State Government would bring value to the partners, adding that their projects are not white elephant ones as their business exists in over 50 different countries and 5 continents of the world. Mr. Ofer assured the Governor that their Company approaches business and investment with no exit strategy as they have a policy of long-term business relationship. He commended Governor Otti for the easy and speedy access to him while admitting that he has been to Nigeria several times and have never experienced such open-door policy and business mindedness.
Earlier, the founding Director of Max Agro Farms, Mr. Ejike Nwankwo said that they have a relationship with the Israeli company on Agricultural solutions with primary focus on poultry production, adding that the visit was intended to present themselves for investment that would be of mutually beneficial to the Israeli Company and the State.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Cliff Agbaeze, Chief Strategy Officer to the Government, Mr. Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu, Director-General, Public-Private Partnership and Investment Promotion Office, Mr. Chinedu Chijioke, Technical Assistant to the Governor, Mr. Charles Egonye, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, Director-General, Ministry of Finance Incorporated, Mr. Osinachi Nwaka and Special Adviser to the Governor on Monitoring and Evaluation, Mazi Ugochukwu Okoroafor, MNI, were among the top Government officials at the working visit.
Ctz. UKOHA NJOKU UKOHA
Chief Press Secretary to the Executive Governor of Abia State
