New Telegraph

Bauchi gov to political appointees: Go back to farm

B

auchi State Governor, Bala Abdukadir Mohammed, has ordered all political appointees and senior civil servants in the state to go back to farm in line with his administration’s revolution in the agricultural sector.

 

 

 

He said the aim was to boost food security in the state.

The governor gave the order at the weekend while flagging off the sale of fertilizer for the 2020 farming season.

The event took place at the premises of the Bauchi State Agricultural Supply Company (BASAC) at a subsidised rate of N5,000 per bag.

He said: “In other to deepen the farming culture among our elites, I have directed the ministry of agriculture to ensure that all members of the state executive council, commissioners, advisers, to cultivate land this year and they are at liberty to farm anything of his choice.

 

 

“And for emphasis, all political appointees must cultivate a farm land”.

 

 

The governor, who said he was not an exception, maintained that; “I am going to carry my hoe and go to farm, because I stay in Bauchi and I don’t have to go to Abuja, I have nothing to take to Abuja”.

 

 

According to him, “My eyes are on the ball and I am staying here and you can testify that I have been in Bauchi for the last three months without going anywhere outside Bauchi State,”

The governor while urging government officials to take this seriously, assured them that ‘all hands are on deck to discharge government’s responsibility in line with the mandate given by the people of the state.

 

“We are trying to make sure that the mandate given to us by the good people of Bauchi State is not toyed with. We must manage, we must supervise, we must rule by example”, Mohammed further said.

 

 

“The Commissioner of Agriculture is hereby directed to ensure compliance. I will secure my own land and cultivate myself. Of course I know my deputy is a good farmer, because he is the Sarkin Ayuka to the Emir of Bauchi, he will do the same”, the governor said.

 

 

Mohammed, who pledged to personally supervise, monitor and evaluate compliance with the directive, noted that; “once we set examples of the best practices, the rest of the farming population will be encouraged and thousands will eventually join”.

 

The fovernor, who regretted that sometimes fertilizer meant for the people of Bauchi State were taken outside the state due to sharp practices, warned that such act would never be tolerated under his administration.

 

 

“We have a common heritage, and it is to have fidelity and our heritage is to make sure that we farm and assist others to farm”, he said.

 

 

The governor said existing agricultural strategic plan in the state had been looked into with a view to bringing commercial farming on board.

“I know the Commissioner of Agriculture has mentioned that, but that can not be done without fidelity, without sincerity”.

 

 

The governor, who said he was in Germany to woo investors into the state, hinted that so many companies were coming to Bauchi to do organic farming, adding that organic farming can create wealth for the state more than petroleum.

 

 

He said NPK brand of fertilizer, which used to sell for N5,500 per bag would now be sold for N5,000, while Urea fertilizer, which was sold for N8,000 in the market would now go for N6,000 only.

“We want to set examples, that is why we are studying the situation to make sure we give room for our farmers to imbibe modern farming techniques”, the governor said.

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