Published
on August 9, 2022
Farmers in Nigeria have called on President Muhammad Buhari to as a matter of urgency dissolved the Presidential Committee on Fertilizer.
The farmers under the aegis of the Association of Nigeria and Northwest Inputs Agro Dealers Association of Nigeria (NIADA), made the call on Tuesday during a press conference held in Dutse, the capital of the state.
NIADA leader in Jigawa State, Alhaji Yusuf Baba Muhammad said the call became necessary over the committee’s failure to deliver its mandate of making the commodity available and affordable to the country’s farmers.
Represented by his Deputy, Haro Shehu accused the presidential committee on Fertilizer of allowing the Fertilizer blending company to be exporting the commodities to foreign countries despite their higher demand in the country.
“The major fertilizer blending companies appear to be sabotaging the presidential policy on agriculture by refusing to sell the products to the local dealers who deposited their money with companies some for over a year now without receiving the supply”
“We are therefore appealing to President Muhammad Bihari for the immediate dissolution of the committee and replacing it with competent hands to save our country from a food crisis and hunger” he stated.
Reacting to the allegation, the chairman presidential committee on Fertilizer and also the Governor of Jigawa State, Mohammed Badaru exonerated himself from the allegations and failure of the committee.
He said, “When I was active in the committee, the success achieved was unprecedented and every Nigerian farmer witnessed it.”
“I am not aware of what is happening now in the committee as I was not called for its meeting nor have I participated in any of its operations”
” Only the Chief of Staff of the federation, Professor Ibrahim Gambari can answer any question related to the committee’s activities in the last two years,” Badaru claimed.