The former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, (EFCC), Dr (Mrs) Farida Waziri, has said that Centre for Food Technology and Research, (CEFTER) will reduce over
$4 billion, about N880 billion estimated as the yearly post harvest losses
incurred by African countries, NaijaAgroNet reports.
According to a statement by her media
aide, Mr. Ade Williams, Waziri said this while commissioning the World Bank
Africa Centre of Excellence Project, CEFTER, located at the Benue State
University, Makurdi.The former EFCC boss who was the chairperson at the
official launch of the Centre noted that the World Bank project is coming to
Nigeria at the right time.
While counseling the managers of the
Centre to make dedication and transparency their watchwords, Waziri commended
the Vice Chancellor of BENSU, Prof (Mrs) Charity Angya and the Project Manager
of CEFTER, Dr Barnabas AchakpaIkya for their efforts to see the project take
off. Benue State University was chosen by the World Bank as one of its 10 Africa
Centre of Excellence Project, NaijaAgroNet
learnt.
“No doubt, our over-dependence on
oil revenue has brought us to the point where we are as a nation today. As an
anti-corruption czar, I have seen how some of those nation entrusted with its
oil resources in the past helped themselves more than the country.
“With our focus on agriculture, the
struggle by political office holders to steal oil fund would diminish while the
national wealth will be in the hands of the people instead of a privileged
greedy few. We cannot all dig oil wells in our backyard but we can all farm in
our backyards. It is time to end oil-money induced corruption in our land by
buying into President Buhari’s vision and take ownership.
"I am aware the mandate of this
Centre, CEFTER is to promote teaching, research and extension in Post Harvest
services, enhance agricultural productivity and industrial output for the
socio-economic advancement of Nigeria and Africa. I must admit that this can’t be
coming at a better time than now when the new leadership of our country is
already looking towards agriculture as a more reliable alternative to oil
revenue.
“With the strategic location of
CEFTER in the food basket of the nation, Benue state and the caliber of hands
that have been put in charge to manage the project, I will wholeheartedly seek
the support of the federal government, multi-nationals and well-meaning
Nigerians and our friends across the country that this is one project all of us
should support in the interest of our national economy and economic development
of all.”
Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE
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