Former President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Kabir İbrahim, has kicked against the disbursement of N13 billion by the Federal Government to fight pests across 12 frontline Northern states in Nigeria.
Vanguard reports that Ibrahim on Wednesday faulted approval of the fund, saying that it was neither provided for in the 2020 budget nor appropriated by the National Assembly.
Ibrahim, who has been at loggerhead with the incumbent president of the association, Farouq Mudi, over the national presidency of the association, sent the letter in the capacity of AFAN’s national president.
Mudi’s election as national president by a 13-member National Working Committee in March this year had been trailed by opposition from Ibrahim – a tussle which landed in the Federal High Court in Abuja in the same month.
Speaking on the pest control fund, Ibrahim noted that it was unnecessary to spend such an amount on a “perceived problem” that is yet to “rear its head”.
AgroNigeria reported that the Federal Government approved the disbursement of a N13 billion pest control intervention fund.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Sabo Nanono, who announced the approval last Friday, explained that the fund will help Nigeria fight against locusts, grasshoppers, quelea birds, and other pests across 12 front-line Northern states.
The states are: Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Kano, Zamfara, Bauchi, Jigawa, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe and Borno.
Ibrahim in the statement, however, called upon the National Assembly to “summon a stakeholder hearing to appraise this matter.”
He said, “That Nigeria is going to spend N13 billion to fight quelea birds, locusts, and pests is not provided for in the 2020 budget and, therefore, unappropriated by the NASS (National Assembly).
“For this kind of information to be churned out to the public is tantamount to gross indiscipline and gross misconduct by any public officer who perpetrated it.
“The public domain is awash with consternation as to the basis for this kind of talk by the driver of the Nigerian food system.
“The farmers are at a loss when this kind of information comes out especially when they are struggling to access their farms due to insecurity.
“For the farmers who are not sure of even being able to produce anything to wake up to the realisation that the government is planning to spend this kind of money on a perceived problem even before it rears its head is nebulous.”
Ibrahim also urged the Federal Government to instate a directorate that will be responsible for ensuring food security in face of the global pandemic.
“The National Assembly is at this point called upon to summon a stakeholder hearing to appraise this matter.
“At the end of this hearing, the government should be advised to reappraise the performance of the drivers of Agriculture in Nigeria,” he added.
SOURCE: AGRONIGERIA
