We will support the systematic development of Mariculture and Aquaculture in Ahoada.
The Accord Guber Roadshow made its way to Ahoada West, and I was moved by what I saw. Firstly, while making our way into the communities, I noticed a major disaster from the flooding and erosion taking up the road. This caught my attention because I wondered how people would cross the parts of the road already washed off by erosion. The situation of the roads to Ahoada need urgent attention, and so once we form government, we will deploy a Flood Protection Master plan, for interim and long term management of the floods.
A mammoth crowd of women, men and children came out to catch the Accord guber-Roadshow. Seem like every local government area seeks to outdo the former in numbers and support. Of a truth, our numbers are growing and we have more unit strength emerging in all these communities. The immense strategic importance of the Ahoada region in the development of Rivers State cannot be overemphasized.
Historically, Ahoada was recognized as a strategically important commercial and administrative region. It was named as one of the four divisions of the Rivers Province in 1900, in addition to Degema, Ahoada, Brass and Ogoni, with Port Harcourt as headquarters. Ahoada-West, created in 1996 from Ahoada LGA, situated northwest of Port Harcourt, with its Ekpeye, Engenni, and Ogbogolo peoples, as well as the strategic Orashi River, constitutes a vitally important part of our envisaged Rivers State economy.
As such, I am of the strong persuasion that Ahoada-West should be a vibrant part of our planned commercial development of every corner of Ahoada as an economic region. We need to strengthen the economy of Ahoada to enable it take its proposed role as prescribed by the founding fathers of the state.
When we form government, we will grow commercial enterprises in Ahoada, while ensuring that access to the communities are created to enable the necessary interconnection. In our proposed connections, we plan to construct a network of community roads connecting Ediro, Joinkrama, Okaki, Igbuduya and Ubie.
These are sure pathways to ensure rise in commercial activities, and thus there will be need to sustain the demand for an enabling environment for businesses to thrive. Therefore, when we form government we will also seek to support the provision of captive power to support the planned stimulation of economic activities in this region.
We also plan to support the systematic and structured development of fishing (marine fishing, aquaculture, mariculture, fish, crustaceans (crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimps, prawns), and molluscs (octopi, squids, snails, scallops, oysters, periwinkles), as well as their processing and preservation in the region.
Beyond this, we will support the establishment of commercial farming and processing industries in the area.
I am glad we made it to Ahoada. My sincere gratitude to all the men, women and children that came out in support of Accord. I thank the Chiefs, Elders, Fathers, Mothers and Widows who came out to receive us.
I promise, I cannot and will not forget my dear people of Ahoada.
Dumo Lulu Briggs said