Ex-FUTO VC joins Imo guber race says state now laughing stock

The former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Professor Jude Njoku has joined the 2019 governorship race of Imo state.

Prof. Njoku, à Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant saïd that he would restore the lost glory of the state saying that the state had become a laughing stock due to bad governance.

While addressing stakeholders at the party secretariat where he made his intention known for the governorship race, said that the current APC administration in the state has destroyed all facets of governance in the state.

Njoku, a professor of Agricultural Economics also promised to restore the oil palm industry in the state which he described as the mainstay of the economy of the South-East and Nigeria before the advent of crude oil.

He regretted that it was sustained mismanagement and avarice that ruined Adapalm, the massive Imo state owned oil palm company adding that he had the political will and technical expertise to revive the company and make it profitable.

According to him, “I am an Agricultural Economist; I consult for the World Bank, FAO, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, IFAD and other global agricultural agencies.

Having consulted for others in similar areas, I have no doubt we can also tell ourselves what to do to restore the glory of the oil palm in our state and once again revive Adapalm into a viable agro enterprise for our state and the country.”

He assured that if he becomes the governor the state would collaborate with international development agencies to embark on massive food production with emphasis on root and tuber crops as well as livestock production.

He further promised to deploy modern technology, saying that his agricultural production masterplan emphasises the entire value chain from production to storage, processing, preservation, marketing and consumption through which jobs can be created.