Middle-Belt has no reason to be poor — Gana

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From ELEKWACHI CHINEDUM, Abuja
FORMER Information Minister, Professor Jerry Gana has described the Middle Belt as well endowed region of the country that its people has no business to be poor.
He blamed the past successive government for the neglect of the region resulting to the poor and underdeveloped state the region has found itself.
Speaking yesterday during the 3rd Middle Belt Leaders’ Conference held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, Gana urged the leaders of the region to take advantage of the conference to find genuine answers to the lingering problems in the region.
“We must resolve to set in motion very powerful forces of development in the middle belt. We cannot continue to have such a rich region, yet remain so poor. We must seek to understand the nature of our crises and find effective solutions” he stressed.
Prof. Gana who described the Ajaokuta complex as a collosal industrial giant, also called on the leaders to exert every necessary pressure to ensure its speedy completion, arguing that the nation has all it takes to finish the project.
“The Middle Belt is so well endowed with massive land and mineral resources that our people should have no business with poverty. Yet, we have very serious situations of tragic poverty and marginalisation” he stated.
He called for the transformation of the agriculture sector, development of solid mineral resources, establishment of viable industries, creation of sugar plantation and sugar processing plants.
Other practical steps suggested by the elder statesman included the creation of good network of transport infrastructure, generation of adequate power supply and establishment of Development Bank for the region.

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