Former US Congressman Proposes Rural Development Model For Bayelsa

 ....Gov. Diri Sets Up Implementation Team 

A former lawmaker representing the State of New Hampshire in the United States Congress, Ambasdor Richard  Swett, has proposed a rural development  model for Bayelsa State. 

Speaking in Government House, Yenagoa, during a courtesy visit, Ambassador Swett said the development model would create jobs, housing, electricity and food among other necessary requirements for people of the state.  

A press release issued by the governor's Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted Ambassador Swett, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Climate Prosperity Enterprises Solutions, as saying that the model was hinged on what he refered to as Total Environment Controlled Agriculture Plant (TECAP).

He said the facility is five-storey tall built on a hectare of land with agricultural activities inside and capable of producing 400 times what could be grown in a regular farming season on same size of land. 

He also explained that the TECAP facility, which would be a zero-carbon emission community, would have different businesses that inhabitants would benefit from and sustain the facility.

Swett further stated that each community would have a minimum of 3,000 persons that would have shares in the businesses that operate there.

The former congressman said funds for the project would be sourced from development agencies and other partners to make it a reality. 

He noted that his state of New Hampshire shared a lot of similarities with Bayelsa and other places where similar projects had worked, expressing optimism that it would work in the state with commitment from the government. 

Responding, Governor Douye Diri expressed appreciation to the former lawmaker for his choice of Bayelsa for the project, assuring that the government would do its part to make it work. 

He stated that the presentation was in line with his administration's prosperity agenda, which is keen on attracting foreign direct investment.

Diri said he was excited about the model which, according to him, would attract private funds to the state.  

The governor set up a committee to be chaired by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Biriyai Dambo (SAN), to interface with the former lawmaker and his team. 

Other members of the committee are the Commissioners for Agriculture, Health, Power and Finance as well as the Technical Adviser on Public Private Partnership, Managing Director,  Bayelsa State Electricity Company and the the Principal Secretary, Government House, Mr. Irorodamie Komonibo.