March 09, (THEWILL) – Professor Terhemba Shija is a governorship aspirant in Benue state on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He spoke with KAJO MARTINS on a number of issues, promising to establish multiple Cement factories to arrest unemployment rate in the state.
You have successfully presented your blueprint tagged, “Benue Rebuild Agenda” for the development of Benue state. What are the highlights of this document?
Well, the document is titled, “Benue Rebuild Agenda.” We are going to rebuild Benue again because it was once built but was later destroyed. We are also going to introduce modernization. So, three key areas will be our focal point. The first is building, second is modernization and the third one is globalization. For instance, we are going to get our produce processed in such a way that it will meet international standard and can be exported such that it can attract money from outside the country to our advantage.
Sir, the most thing worrying Benue state is insecurity. What are your plans in this area?
I have stated very clearly that we are going to use technology in dealing with insecurity in the state. We are also going to work with people of Nigeria who are within and outside the country. We are not going to be a pallia state but one that everybody will want to come and live and do business; a tourist destination where interested persons will come and look at our beautiful environment and participate in games and recreation. We will be very watchful so that our countryside is preserve and safe, our farmers go about their businesses without harassment. If anybody take another one’s life, we are going to bring the full weight of the law against the culprit irrespective of tribe or any other consideration.
Civil servants in Benue state have been owed over 30 months pension arrears. How do you intend to get over this issue?
I really don’t want to talk about salary and pension arrears as part of my blueprint. This is because whoever works must be paid his wages as and when due. So, if I come in as governor in 2023 and I meet salary or pension arrears, I will first of all clear such off before any other consideration. So, it is a promise that I will keep for those owed.
Benue is one of the most highly endowed state in terms of agriculture. What are your plans to use the endowment to better the face of the state?
Yes, we have been involved in substance farming and even in spite of the surrounding insecurity in certain areas of the state, Benue is still leading in the production of cassava, rice and other tubers and also leading in the production of melon and so on. We know our areas of comparative advantages. So, we are going to accentuate that and get into the propagation of all the information needed; make sure that we properly administer the land. Most people are not into agriculture because they cannot have access to a parcel of land; farm inputs like fertilizer and capital as an encouragement in the sector. Even though those who finally get involved in it have their produce wasted because of lack of storage facilities, processing and don’t have a way of marketing it. Therefore, I’m going to establish Benue Produce and Marketing Board which will be responsible to act as the mediator between the primary producers who are the farmers and the consumers.
There is a lot of restive groups owing to unemployment and general hardship. What step would you take to handle the menace?
It is not just because of unemployment but simply share number. If you look at the demography, you will discover that those within the ages of 16 to 50 constitute about 7% of the population; those who should be actively involved in production are idle which is a natural phenomenon. Unemployment rate now stand at 33.6%. So, those who should be employed, 33.6% of them are not, with some under employed. Imagine that somebody has a Ph.D and cannot get a job that he want, may be teaching in a Nursery school, it means he is under employed. We are going into production and explore all the resources available such as the two big rivers Benue and Katsina-Ala. We have to generate hydroelectricity, go into fishery, irrigation farming and others to ensure massive food production and everybody will be involved in production chain in agriculture. We will also go into solid minerals because Benue state is known for cement. Till today, we are talking about Benue cement Gboko owed by federal government in the first place and sold out which production seems not to be going on there. We are going to set up not just one, two or three factories, we are going to set up a chain of cement factories in Benue because this country need at least N40 million metric tonnes of cement yearly but for now, the production is only 17 million tonnes.
