American Politician Proposes Rural Development Model For Bayelsa

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

Swett made the proposal when he paid a courtesy call on Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa in Yenagoa, on Monday.

The American politician said that the development model would create jobs, housing, electricity, and food among other necessary requirements for the people of the state.

Swett, the Chief Executive Officer of Climate Prosperity Enterprises Solutions, said that the model is hinged on the Total Environment Controlled Agriculture Plant (TECAP).

He said that the facility was a five-storey building 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 the same size of land.

The former U.S. lawmaker said that the TECAP facility, a zero-carbon emission community, would have different businesses that the inhabitants would benefit from and sustain the facility.

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

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

He said that his state of New Hampshire shared a lot of similarities with Bayelsa and other places where similar projects had worked.

Swett expressed optimism that it would work in the state with commitment from the government.

Responding, the governor expressed appreciation to the American politician for his choice of Bayelsa for the project, assuring that the government would do its part to make it work.

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

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

The governor, therefore, 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; the Technical Adviser on Public-Private Partnership; Managing Director, Bayelsa State Electricity Company and the Principal Secretary, Government House, Mr. Irorodamie Komonibo.