Food experts give Sanwo-olu kudos for WACOT rice deal

By Ladapo Kolade

Agro-industrial experts are thumbing up last week’s deal between the Lagos State Government and rice production company WACOT as the right thing to do to ensure returns on investment and take the youths from the streets to the factories.

They were reacting to a post on the event by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Digital Media, Jubril Gawat.

Among the elite cheerleaders were the Quality Assurance Manager, West African Soy Industries, Mr. Boddu Veerabhadra Rao, agronomist and professional extension worker,Tijani Ahmed, business director, Manoj Vaswani, quality inspector at Freisland Campina, Noah Adejumobi and legal practitioner Violet Ashinshe.

According to Adejumobi, “the deal is a great initiative”, agreeing with Michael Osunniyi who said the governor has been doing very well. ” In my opinion, Governor Sanwp-olu is doing well. It is not about doing what they want but doing what is right,

Ashinshe lauded WACOT for executing the deal stating that it further confirms the company as a leader in the sector.

Her words: ” Congratulations to  WACOT Rice and the TGI team, Your exemplary leadership in the agricultural sector is one to be emulated.”

Business portfolio Manager, Shefiat Abdulmaleek concurs: ” This is a laudable implementation. Congratulations.”

But there was a mild dissent by Canada-based Eromosele Odijie who wondered if the job couldn’t have been given to an indigenous Nigerian concern, Expressing his view, he wrote in pidgin: “So Nigerians no fit mill rice again, We get sense for dat country at all?” Odigie works as a Business Systems Analyst at the Toronto Transit Commission.

But he got a quick retort from Tolani Adeleke who explained that ” it is called international investment, my brother. What matters is that it is happening on our soil  and it is going to create employment opportunities for our fellow citizens.”