Isiyaku Ahmed
To strengthen and grow the agro industrial drive of Governor Ben Ayade’s administration, the state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a business giant, Dantata Food and Allied Products Company Limited.
A statement signed by the Information Officer, Cross River Ministry of Commerce, Esse Tita said the MoU was signed by the commissioner for commerce, Mrs RoseMary Archibong for the Cross River State government while the General Manager, Corporate Services, Alh Sanusi Bature signed for the company.
The signing of the MoU witnessed by the representatives of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, that of Agriculture, Industry, and Secretary of Calabar Chambers of Commerce and Zenith Bank as we’ll as the private sector was held at the ministry of Commerce conference hall Eyo Ita house in Calabar, the statement added.
Speaking after the signing of the MoU the Governor sir Ben Ayade represented by the commissioner for Commerce Mrs. RoseMary Archibong, noted that the industrial development drive of Governor Ben Ayade has began receiving visibility in all nooks and crannies of the country and the international community.
“Ayade came with a vision, I called him, the clairvoyant Governor, because he came at a time, cross river lost her oil fortune, she said.
“He knows we have to go back to the basis, and the basis is Agriculture and agro business, and so from inception he came with the policy of going back to the farms and did not just speak but put his words into action through so many agric policies,” Archibong explained.
The Commerce boss while expressing confident on the state partnership with Dantata Food giant, believed that the relationship will not only blossom, but boast the state economy and provide employment, recreate businesses and strengthen existing ones to grow and encourage export.
“Dantata Food and Allied Products limited (is generational), proud that the state is dealing with a reliable business companion with a lot of experience. Continuing, the new partnership is geared towards job generation, take off youths from the street and improve our economic base as well as encourage export and development of businesses,” Archibong added.
According to her, the Governor’s approval of five thousand hectares of land and a space at the Ayade industrial park for the company and signing of the MoU was an indication to give impetus for the company to move faster.
Earlier the Chairman and Chief Executive of the company, Alh. Tajuddeen Dantata, represented by the company’s General Manager, Corporate Service, Sanusi Bature described Cross River as a state of aroma of opportunities with the Governor working the talk.
He said the MOU provides opportunity for the company to engage thousands of farmers and indigenes who will be directly employed across the different value chain to improve their livelihood, adding that under the partnership, the company will venture in the production of rice, maize, soya bean, cotton and groundnut.
“After a tour of the state, we were able to identify and synergies key areas of partnership, and cross River has the needed and biggest land size in the Niger delta,” Bature said.
Following the MoU, Bature maintained that, the company will mobilize to site in a couple of weeks, to commerce the construction in the state.
“Dantata will be a positive partner of the state, by engaging and sustaining the traditional marketers in the state, through this, there will be progress in revenue generation, promote peace and security, he noted.
