Sultan urges Wike to focus on oil palm

To avoid over dependence on oil, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa-ad Abubakar has urged Rivers State government to shift its focus to oil palm production.

The Sultan gave this advice while commissioning the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers Secretariat in Port Harcourt yesterday. The secretariat was constructed by the Governor Nyesom Wike’s administration.

Abubakar acknowledged that Governor Wike has done remarkably well in the past three years in office.  He noted that the governor has shown the true meaning of good governance through the delivery of quality projects.

He urged the governor that if reelected in 2019, he should concentrate on agriculture, especially oil palm production. He recalled how Malaysians had visited the country decades ago to understudy the palm oil plantations sector, before developing theirs which is now a thriving sector.

“We will continue to commend you as long as the people commend you. I call you Mr Opener because you have opened eyes to what governance should be. What you are doing will endear you to the people,” Abubakar said.

The Sultan said most of the projects being commissioned to mark Wike’s three years in office were inspected  by traditional rulers after their national meeting in January, 2018.

“We saw these projects with our eyes, nobody told us. You cannot say that this governor has not worked. Even the enemies of progress will acknowledge that something has been done,” he said.

Governor Wike said his administration resolved to construct a befitting place where the traditional rulers will share ideas and contribute to the development of the state.
According to him, his administration has worked closely with the traditional rulers to build peace which has led to the development of the state.