Dankwambo gave warning yesterday at the state’s flag-off of 12,000 tonnes of fertilizer sales to farmers for the 2015 farming season in Gombe, He said people must embrace agriculture, to enhance food security and development of the society.
The Governor said flagg-off ceremony, , demonstrates the Gombe state government’s commitment towards making life easier for farmers as well as developing the agricultural sector, which has helped a lot in reducing unemployment.
He said “The Agricultural sector being the most vital, is also the largest employer of labour, with over 70% of the people involved in agro-based activities. The development of this sector is therefore imperative, as it will impact positively on the lives of the citizenry,” The Governor said that the state government had earlier distributed soft loans to the tune of N114 million to over 1000 small scale farmers across the state, to boost their farming activities and expressed delight at the progress made so far in the sector, since his assumption of office.
“I am truly pleased with the pace of progress of agricultural development in the sate including dry season farming. We are committed to supporting the farmers in their efforts to raise production and maintain the leading role of the state in Agricultural production in the North-East region,”
He announced that 12, 000 metric tons of assorted fertilizer had been procured, alongside 35.5 metric tons of improved maize seeds for use by farmers in the 2015 farming season.
Dankwambo declared the prices for the sale of the inputs: “The state government has considered the all the economic variables and fixed the price of fertilizer for this wet farming season at N3, 800 per bag and improved seeds atN750 per 10kg bag,”
He pleaded with sellers of fertilizer in the open market to avoid unnecessary increase in price, as he warned against the diversion of the one provided by government.
The state Permanent Secretary in the Ministry for Agriculture, Alhaji Jani Bello commended the state government’s efforts towards the provision of farm inputs, ensuring food security and the reduction of poverty.
Bello said the Ministry had mapped out a modified system for distribution of the commodities to farmers.
Some farmers who spoke to Voice of Nigeria, said though coming deep into the season, the flag-off was still a good omen, as purchasing the commodity at the government price was far cheaper than the N6, 500 market price.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday interrogated former Governor of Akwa Ibom State Godswill Akpabio over allegation of financial crimes. Daily Trust gathered that Akpabio honoured the invitation by the anti-graft agency to explain allegations of looting of the state’s funds during his tenure. Sources told our correspondent that Senator Akpabio was being interrogated late yesterday evening at the Abuja head offices of the Commission. He was spotted at the EFFC office in company of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Rickey Tarfa, at about 5:20pm. Akpabio’s arrest yesterday is fallout of the petition by an Abuja-based lawyer and activist, Leo Ekpenyong, who had on June 8 this year petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari and the EFCC, calling for Senator Akpabio’s probe and accusing him of looting. The petitioner had earlier on Wednesday adopted his petition and provided more details to the anti-graft agency on the allegations against the minority leader of People...
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