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The National Coordinator, FADAMA III Additional Financing(AF)
programme, Mr. Tayo Adewumi has threatened to sanction any state where there
isdefault of Menoranda of understanding (MoUs) or a breach of guidelines, by
withholding the disbursement meant for such state. The threat was issued at a technical
meeting with agro-dealers, off-takers and officials in-charge of the programme
from all participating states, held in Abuja.
Adewumi who spoke through Malam Lawan Balarabe said henceforth
the MoUs signed between the Cluster Groups and other service providers like off
takers and agro dealers should be legalized as it was done in Anambra and Lagos
so as to make it actionable at a court of law in order to sanitize the system
even with involvement of Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) officials
against defaulters.
This position was
coming on the heels of stakeholders’ observations on the breach of MoUs guideline
by the Production Groups (PG) and agro dealers on the one hand, and the same
farmers with off takers on the other hands just as element of disconnect
between the Cluster Groups (CG) and production groups were also pin pointed in
some of the states.
An input dealer from Imo state, Dr. Edwin Uche set the ball
rolling when he complained of farmers not respecting the MoUs for purchase of
quality agro-inputs from agro companies recognized by the rules, but instead
patronize the roadside stores for grains, due to price difference, pointed that
this act has been on for while despite the effort of the National Fadama
Coordinating Office to ensure compliance towards boosting the level of
productivity across the country.
This report was outright breach of the objectives of the
programme according to Mallam Balarabe who said the National office is against
any action that would not comply with the laid down rules and principles of the
project saying the MOUs should be legally solidified to be able to challenge
any default with penalty, pointed that henceforth the National office would not
disburse to any state found as non compliance to rules.
Since farmers were not invited into this meeting the outcome
of the meeting is expected to be taken for further discussion in another
meeting that will be scheduled where both the PG and PG will be invited for
interface for better improvement of the Fadama programme in the country.
Earlier, Mr. Adewumi in his opening remark has called on
seed producers to produce more quality seeds as he enjoined them to shun road
side sellers and patronize certified agro-dealers only in order to boost food
production, pointing out that seed security is food security and farmers across
the 36 states of the Federation must cultivate the habit of using improved
seeds for cultivation.
He promised that the
project would continue to support the agro-dealers for continuous production
and distribution of improved seeds to farmers for increased earning and job
creation that would enhance bargaining power of our beneficiaries and cluster
groups.
He said the pragramme had now transformed into a movement
with establishment of 30 Fadama Information Knowledge ( FIK) system centers’
across thirty state for efficient passage of relevant information across to
various farmers, added work is on going to ensure it in the rest six states to
make thirty six .
Adewumi said that the Fadama III AF which commenced in 4014
has positively impacted on the beneficiaries as the objectives of the project
has almost been achieved saying “It will not have happened if not for the zeal,
commitment and efforts of all partners and Nigerians as a whole. Many youths from
different states have been trained and the FADAMA collaborators have been
excellent. It was not there before, we started in hard way; it is getting smoother
and it will last longer. We want the relationship we have built to last longer
and be sustained; we promise to continue to support our poor farmers and put
smiles on their faces’’
An off-taker from Abia State, Professor Chris Chinaka told Food Farm News that Fadama has been doing well to combat the issue of food insecurity
across his region, through the provision of necessary supports and assistance
to farmers in the area of capacity building, adding that the greatest investment that can be given
to humanity is capacity building. He assured as an off-taker in the south east
that his organization had the capacity to mop up all their produce.
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