Youth farmers promise electoral show down for ruling party

The youth farmers under the agies of Agriculture for Food and Job Plan (AFJP) have promised to use their electoral power against the ruling party for not being paid for services rendered as enumerators.

The agrieved farmers through the Coordinator, Youth for Agriculture and Rural Transformation, Mr. Thomas Yahaya Avong  told foodfarmnews that the press release would be delivered tomorrow 5th, April 2022 at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) Abuja.

The full text of the press release tilled " we'll mobilize our 8 million registered farmers not to vote APC candidates nationwide" adding "

✓Injustice and sabotage in the Agriculture for food and job plan. 30,000 Nigeria Youth who worked under the Agriculture for Food and Job Plan (AFJP) ) denied payment and subjected to untold hardship and pains.

✓Millions of registered Farmers denied access to the promised Agri-input loans and others denied subsidies.

✓Youth denied promised employment by FMARD as Agric Extension officers to boost  Nationwide Agricultural productivity.

While we commend government's commitment and strategic drive for rapid and sustainable development in the Agricultural sector of the economy, we however, wish to express our intense disappointment and  express the pains and hardship of over 30,000 Nigerian youths who out of sheer patriotism and a desire to make a decent living got enlisted in the Agriculture for food and job Plan AFJP to Enumerate and register small holder farmers who were promised improved seeds and fertilizer subsidies as well as 0% interest loans in the 36 states of the federation, the FCT and the 774 local government areas as part of the Economic sustainability Plan ESP headed by the Esteemed Vice president of the Federal republic of Nigeria Professor Yemi Osinbanjo. 

The AFJP design and plan which was conceived by the special Adviser to the President on Agriculture Dr. Andrew Kwasari in technical  collaboration with fmardpace  would have been a game changer in rural Agri-financing and development it could have received global commendation as a programme that has visibly and practically lifted millions of Nigerians from poverty and in line with the President Muhammadu Buhari's plan to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty. But the hope of millions of farmers registered as well as the youth who worked as Enumerators to register and get the geo-spatial information of these farmers were dashed.

It is quite unfortunate that government had subjected the payment of 30,000 Nigerian youth involved in the AFJP programme to bureaucratic frustration and humiliation. 

Nigerian youths who were zealous and enthusiastic in revamping our Agricultural sector had their spirit broken by unending promises of payment for work done for over 2years now .

Millions of registered Farmers are denied access to the promised Agri-input loans and others denied subsidies.

The  promise of employment of youth as Agric Extension officers to boost  Nationwide Agricultural productivity has gone down the drain.

Enumerators have engaged the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development countless times to get their payment without any success.

Enumerators have written letters to various agencies including the Senate Committee on Ethics Privileges and Public Petitions and the office of the chief of staff to the President but were met with silence.

A few saboteurs including the sacked AFAN President Arc. Kabir Ibrahim have constantly held the view that there was no enumeration even though there were solid evidence for all to see and some Enumerators have even paid the supreme price while on duty while others sustained various injuries in undertaking this national duty.

Except the following conditions are met as a matter of urgency: ( within 74 hours)

1. Immediate  payment of entitlement of Nigerian youth who worked as Enumerators under the AFJP programme.

2. Payment of subsidies to small holder farmers who were sidelined during the last exercise.

3. Payment of the promised Agri-input loans to registered Farmers.

4. Employment of Enumerators as Agric Extention officer to improve Agricultural productivity.

If these conditions are not met, we will 

be left with no option but to start mobilising our registered farmers not to vote any APC candidate at federal and state levels.

We have created a data collation center to maintain the records of all our over 8 million farmers Nationwide for onward distribution of SMS messages, WhatsApp messages and creating strategic social media groups for sensitisation against the ruling APC'' government.

We are in touch with our aggrieved  Enumerators who worked as foot soldiers in farming communities and have developed personal relationship with local farmers and are resident in the communities to deliver our messages to Farmers.

We are creating a strong leadership structure across all farming communities in Nigeria to undertake our vigorous campaign against a government and a party that subjected Nigerian youth to untold hardship, humiliation and pain.

We are going out of our way to seek funding and even if it means through unconventional means provided it is legal to fund our campaigns"