Delta Commissioner for Economic Planning, Dr. Kingsley Emu, says the World Bank’s withdrawal of financial support to the state’s Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) a few years ago has crippled its operations.

Emu, who is also the Chairman, Delta State Job Creation Committee, expressed the concern in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibusa, near Asaba on Sunday.

He said that the facilities at the ADP premises in Ibusa were now dilapidated.

The cassava and palm oil mills have all been abandoned since the World Bank withdrew its financial support,” he said.

He noted that ADP was central to the agricultural initiatives of the Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration because of the extension services it offered farmers.

“ADP is central to what we are doing in the state in terms of extension services and farm demonstration. However, the governor has made commitment to rehabilitate this place.

“The governor believes that the rehabilitation of the ADP is the only way to adopt best practices and expand productivity.

“So, all the poultry houses and fish ponds will be rehabilitated in the short run,’’ Emu said.

The commissioner said that in the next three months a lot of transformation would take place in the programme.

Emu said that the rehabilitation would create over 2000 direct and indirect jobs in the state. (NAN)