A member representing Misau/Dambam federal constituency in the national assembly, Honourable Makama Misau has expressed his resolved to continue to lobby President Muhammadu Buhari to reconsider the abandoned Tomato company in Misau local government area of Bauchi state and order the contractor back to site.
The Lawmaker stated this at the weekend when he paid homage to the Emir of Misau at his palace.
According to the legislative aide to the lawmaker, Comrade Garba Modibbo Misau, his principal reminded the federal government that the company when completed is capable of engaging hundreds of teaming unemployed youths in the state, thereby complementing president Muhammadu Buhari’s next level agenda.
Modibbo said the lawmaker also took time to pay condolence visit on the family of late Alhaji Suleiman Manga who is the Yarima of Misau as well as visited the site of the abandoned Tomato company in the local government.
He said that the lawmaker equally visited the Emir of Misau, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Ahmed Suleiman, mni at his palace, where he appealed to the lawmaker to intervene on abandoned Tomato company in Misau local government area.
The aide to the house of representatives member who said that the contract for the company was awarded by the past administration of Goodluck Jonathan has been stopped and the existing structure has started getting dilapidated.
“From the Emir’s palace we went to see the Tomato company and what we saw at the abandoned company was an eye sore. As a result of that, my principal has started making contacts to know what actually led to the stoppage of the project and what should be done to resume work there”, Comrade Modibbo said.
“He was able to identify that the contract was awarded by the federal ministry of Agriculture and he is now making efforts to have all the data necessary so he can be able to follow it up to see where he can come in and the grace of God with prayers we will have the contractors back on site. So, we are calling on our people to pray for him to follow it up so that the work on the site will resume for the benefit of our community, Bauchi state and the country at large.
According to him, the project when completed will create a lot of job opportunities to our teaming unemployment youths thereby reducing restiveness amongst them.
He said, in addition, the existence of the company in the area will encourage dry season farming where many people will resort to tomato farming which will in turn boost the economic base of the citizens.
“Once the Tomato company is completed irrigation activities will go on, we have the Mala Dumba lake here, we have Diya in Dambam. So, really with the coming of this company a lot of economic activities will go on and at the end of the day it will generate employment, income and what have you, so there is a lot of benefits derivable from that company “. Modibbo noted.
He further pointed out that the company if completed will no doubt generate both direct and indirect employment where some will go for irrigation while others will get directly employed to work in the company.
The legislative aide said his boss has contributed emensely in resolving a face-off between the Nigeria Ports Authority and the BUA Port & Terminals when he chaired the House Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation.
“The mediation by the Rep. Ibrahim Makama-headed committee and the AGF has allowed the two warring parties to come to an agreement on an imbroglio that had been on since June, 2019”. Modibbo recalled.
“The cause of the misunderstanding, we learned was the bad state of the Terminal B of the Port Harcourt Port Complex, which was concessioned to BUA Ports and Terminals Ltd (Terminal B consists of four berths 5, 6, 7, and 8”. He further explained.
Comrade Modibbo said an amicable resolution was reached at a meeting which had NPA, BUA Ports and Terminals Limited (BUA), the Bureau of Public Enterprises, (BPE) and the representative of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami.
Modibbo who called on the people of Misau/Dambam federal constituency to continue to support the lawmaker in his laudable and people oriented representation said a lot of developmentalprograms have been lined up for their benefits.
“We have itemized our goals for this tenure, we have made mentioned of education, health care youth development, among others. In that aspect, we are making arrangements with one of the football academy in Abuja that have all the resources and the technical know how to come and coach our youth who have talent in football”. Modibbo hinted.
He said that about ten registration forms have been secured by the lawmaker and distributed to the youths who have interest in football as a career across the constituency.
According to him, “we have equally asked the coach to select among the best from the beneficiaries for them to have a first class training so that the best among the them will be in Europe or some Asian countries for them to develop and continue with their career”.
