Home / Lead Story / Buhari administration assures on timely release of ecological fund; Promises farmers 4 million fertilizers before end of the year
President Muhammadu Buhari

Buhari administration assures on timely release of ecological fund; Promises farmers 4 million fertilizers before end of the year

President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration will ensure the timely release of the Ecological Fund to States to address pressing ecological challenges in their localities.

Speaking at the weekend on Hannu Ya Dawa, an audience participation programme on Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Kaduna, the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Mallam Garba Shehu pledged that the administration would continue to assist flood victims across the country.

According to a statement by Attah Esa, Deputy Director (Information) State House, Mallam Shehu said that “The Buhari administration will under no circumstance abandon its humanitarian obligations to alleviate the distress of flood victims.

“In spite of Nigeria’s technological limitations and the paucity of funds to handle or manage large scale and complex emergencies, the APC administration will leave no stone unturned in offering succour to victims of natural disasters across the country,” he said.

Mallam Garba Shehu

On the Ecological Fund, Shehu said it is the right of citizens to demand the judicious use of the Fund, which is distributed among the three tiers of government from the Federation Account.

“The largest chunk of the Fund goes to the States and Local Governments. Every month, States and Local governments receive 1.4 per cent from the Federation Account as Ecological Fund, compared to the Federal Government’s share of 1 per cent.

“From the 1 per cent the FG gets, NEMA takes 20 per cent for its operation,” he said.

The Presidential aide noted that lately, disaster management in the country is gradually being ceded to the Federal Government by other tiers of government.

“Whenever there is an emergency from natural or man-made disasters, all you hear is ‘where is Buhari, what is he doing? What happens with the other tiers of government?”

“Nigerians, at the state and local governments, should demand transparency and accountability in the management of ecological funds by their Governors and local government chairmen.

“Without accountability by local political leaders, the Federal Government would continue to be the scapegoat for the failure of states and local governments to use ecological funds for the purposes they were released,” he said.

Shehu said the Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation has also been mandated to step up the provision of relief infrastructure to those in need.

 

The SSA Media & Publicity also said that the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) will deliver 4 million bags of 50kg Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (NPK) fertilizer to farmers, at an affordable price, before the end of the year.

Mallam Shehu who disclosed this at the FRCN Kaduna programme, said the 11 fertilizer blending plants in the country will be increased to 18 by the end of the year; which will, in turn, provide direct employment to no fewer than 50,000 Nigerians.

Shehu said the projected delivery of the commodity (4 million bags of fertilizer) by December is in addition to the six million bags of 50kg fertilizers already sold to farmers since the Initiative commenced early this year.

“The problem of the shortage of fertilizers and its attendant high cost plaguing the nation’s agricultural production, seemingly intractable for decades, has been resolved following the successful execution of the mandate of the PFI.

“Since the implementation of the Initiative, the six million 50kg bags of NPK fertilizers were purchased by State governments and agro-dealers across the country,” he said.

He noted that the production of locally-blended fertilizer had saved the Federal Government about $150 million this year, hitherto spent on foreign exchange; and N60 billion in budgetary provisions for fertilizer subsidy.

He added that the successful implementation of the PFI had made fertilizer available to Nigerian farmers at affordable prices and in time for the 2017 wet season farming.

“Last year, Daily Trust newspaper reported that a bag of 50kg NPK fertilizer was sold at N10, 900 in Benue State. Today the same commodity is being sold at about N6, 500 in different locations across the country, while the government-approved price is N5, 500.

Quoting the same newspaper report, Mallam Shehu noted that a bag of maize which was sold at N21, 000 last year is currently being sold at an average of N10, 000.

“This is an indication that the Initiative has enhanced food security as a result of the increase in food production. There is also a reduction in food-induced inflation while economic activities across the agriculture value chain are very impressive,” he said.

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