Bauchi Govt Assures Farmers On Fertiliser
By our reporter
The Bauchi Government has assured farmers in the state that fertiliser would be made available for this planting season.
Alhaji Musa Chibiyaya, the Special Adviser to Gov Isa Yuguda on Agriculture, gave the assurance recently in Bauchi while speaking with Newsday.
Newsday reports that two months after the state government officially launched fertiliser sale, it had yet to provide the commodity.
Chibiyaya told Newsday that prior to the commencement of the planting season, the government had announced that 45,000 tonnes of fertiliser would be procured for distribution to farmers.
He said that 5,000 tonnes was to be sourced from the 2009 consignment that was not supplied by contractors, while 10,000 tonnes would produced by the state fertiliser blending company.
He said that another 15,000 tonnes of the commodity was to be imported by the government while the remaining 15,000 tonnes was to be supplied by three companies under the Fertiliser Voucher Programme (FVP).
He said that the blending company had already supplied over 40 trucks of the commodity, adding that a substantial quantity had also been supplied by three companies under the FVP.
“The imported fertilisers had since arrived at the Lagos sea port and will soon arrive in the state; we will immediately distribute them to prospective farmers; therefore, there is no cause for alarm.
“Public sale will commence immediately, when the Commissioner, who is also the chairman on the procurement, transportation and distribution of the commodity arrived from Lagos,” he added.
Chibiyaya said that officials of the state Ministry of Agriculture had travelled to Lagos to facilitate the transportation of the commodity for immediate distribution to farmers.
He said that officials of International Centre for Soil Fertility and Agriculural Development (IFDC), USAID and the state government would meet to map out strategies for the distribution of the 15,000 tonnes of the commodity under the FVP.
The Special Adviser, who is also the Secretary, Bauchi State Rice Farmers Association, said that registered farmers drawn from various cooperative societies under the FVP, would benefit from the programme.
He said that the commodity would be sold to farmers at a subsidised rate of N2,000 to encourage mass production of food.
Meanwhile, Alhaji Bello Galoji, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) youth leader in Bauchi State, expressed regret that farmers had yet access fertiliser two months after the official launch of fertiliser sale.
He said that the initial prediction of bumper harvest might not be realised due to the absence of fertiliser.
He said that the government had failed in its promise to provide fertilisers to farmers, adding that the private sector should be allowed to handle procurement of the commodity in 2011.
| Katsina Inaugurates C'ttee
On Health Workers' Strike |
by Our Reporter
The Katsina State Government recently inaugurated a 12-member committee to look into the demands of health workers in the state.
The health workers had on June 28 given the state government a three-week ultimatum to ensure full implementation of CONMESS and CONHESS salary structures or face industrial action.
Inaugurating the committee in Katsina, the state's Head of Service, Alhaji Danyaya Mashi, said it would look into the workers' demands and advise government on measures to be taken.
He said the committee would also look into the level of implementation of the CONMESS and CONHESS in other states of the federation.
Mashi expressed the hope that the committee would come up with recommendations that would guide government in the implementation of the new salary structure.
Responding on behalf of other members, the committee's Chairman and Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Babangida Ibrahim, pledged to justify the confidence reposed in them.
He thanked the state government for giving them the opportunity to serve in the committee.
The committee has three weeks within which to submit its report to the government.
The Joint Health Sector Union and the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in the state had resolved to commence an indefinite strike on July 19. |
