…vow action to revive comatose estate

By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

The House of Representatives Committee on the Federal Capital Territory,FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters,has expressed displeasure over the comatose state of Fish Farm Estate, Bwari, Abuja.

To this end, it has vowed to work towards the full revitalization of the fish farm estate.

As part of efforts to reactivate the investment, the committee has invited the Minister of State of the Federal Capital Territory,FCT, for an interface.

The Committee, during an oversight visit to the estate, saidf the current state of the farm did not align with the aspiration of President Bola Tinubu to ensure food security for Nigerians.

Chairman of the committee, Fred Agbedi,speaking during the visit, lamented the total neglect of the farm estate, describing it as a noble initiative that had been completely abandoned.

He said,“This committee, today, in continuation of the oversight on the Agriculture department visited this estate. And to our surprise and chagrin disbelief, it is very clear that this noble idea has been abandoned. “

He noted that basic infrastructure such as electricity, water, drainage systems, and access roads were non-existent, rendering the facility dysfunctional.

“There’s no electricity, no power, there’s no water, there’s no drainage system, there’s no access road. There is also no drains that take the wastewater from the various fish farms out. There are also no staff to run this place. Security is also a challenge,” he said.

Agbedi stressed that the current state of the estate contradicts the president’s push to turn Nigeria into an agricultural hub and ensure food safety. He said the Committee had resolved to summon the FCT Minister of State, who supervises the agriculture department, to appear before it and explain the reasons behind the neglect of the estate.

“We want to use this opportunity to invite the Minister of State of FCT who supervises this department to cause appearance with this department before this committee so that some issues as to the functionality of this estate will be addressed,” Agbedi said.

The lawmaker sympathized with residents and investors who had partnered with the government in good faith but had been let down.

“When our citizens that we represent, that are citizens of FCT, that are productive people, people that do have knowledge on fish farming, partner with government, putting their resources to ensure that they contribute to the well-being of this nation and government reneges on that partnership, it is very painful,” he said.

Agbedi described the situation as harrowing for the people and a breach of the social contract. He pledged that the Committee would not stand by and watch the government default on its obligations to the people.

“There is no way, as supervising committee, we will fold our hands and see government not doing the needful to ensure that this sector, fish farming sector, becomes productive, contributes to the economy and well-being of our nation and our people.”

He assured the residents and stakeholders in the estate of the National Assembly’s commitment to restoring the farm to its intended purpose. “We want to assure you that we will do our best as National Assembly. We are here on behalf of Mr. Speaker, who instituted this committee to oversight this sector. And I can assure you that working with Mr. Speaker, we will ensure that we bring this place back to life.”

Agbedi said the Committee would engage relevant authorities, including the President, to address any budgetary or administrative bottlenecks.

“If it is budgetary issues that are a challenge to FCT, of course, we speak to them. And we speak to Mr. President. If Mr. President pays attention to agriculture, pays attention to food security, pays attention to livestock, I mean, this can be less of importance to him,” he stated.

He vowed that the Committee would not relent and would continue to visit the estate to monitor progress. He called on the acting director of the agricultural department to submit all relevant documents that would aid the Committee’s investigation.

“We want to also call on the acting director to ensure that you turn in all necessary documents that will help this committee in carrying out the oversight and the interactions that will make sense and meaning to this visit that we have made.”

Highlighting the need for security, Agbedi urged the police authorities to ensure safety within the estate.

“We want to also call on the Nigerian police to ensure that this place is given some attention because this is a fish farm. And if there’s no safety, if there’s no security here, of course the people will not be able to stay here and produce fish and sell to the indigenous residents of FCT.”

He appealed to the Inspector-General of Police and the FCT Commissioner of Police to intervene promptly. He also demanded that the Minister of State ensure adequate staffing of the facility.

“To hear that you have just one staff and an NYSC Corps member to manage this estate is an eyesore. And I think that in your write-up to the committee, we want to be sure that you encapsulate all these issues so that we can cause an interface with the Minister of State and other stakeholders in this department.”

Agbedi further disclosed that the Committee might summon the residents of the estate for a deeper engagement.

“When it becomes necessary, we are also still going to invite the residents of this farm estate, who are partners with FCT Ministry of Department of Agric, so that we can have an in-depth knowledge of the issues that are of concern to them, so that collectively we can address them,” he said.

The Committee chairman reiterated that the plight of the fish farm estate would not be overlooked, adding that all relevant arms of government would be engaged to ensure the estate becomes fully functional and contributes meaningfully to the FCT’s agricultural goals.

Acting Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat of the Farm, Dabit Jonas Agbo, said the project was conceived based on the 38th annual conference of the Nigerian National Fisheries Development Committee meeting having realised the country was expending a lot of money in importing fish.

He said the project started in 2012 but due to low budgetary provision has not been able to live up to expectations.

Agbo said it was a pilot project which was supposed to be replicated across the 36 states where the Federal Government would provide infrastructure and the private sector would be the investor in a bid boost local fish production.

He said there is provision for 100 fish farmers in the farm but just eight were operating mostly bearing the expenses of infrastructure on thier own which is not the ideal situation.