N13 billion: AFAN faults unbudgetted spending on quelea birds

Kano State Chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has described the plans by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) to spend N13 billion to control quelea birds and, a d pests as a misadventure.

The farmer’s body said spending the huge resources in the obvious food shortages without addressing the plight of Nigerians through direct channelling of resources into Agriculture was uncalled for.

In a press release, the group said, the insecurity in the North East and North West was already hampering agricultural activities in the nation, hence, there would be food shortages, insisting that Agric Ministry should rise to the occasion.

“The FMARD announced the desire to spend N13 billion to fight pests,quelea birds and locusts as against the crashing insecurity in the NE and NW and the looming food shortage due to the inability of SHFs to readily access their farms calls for a soul searching reflection.

Kano chapter of AFAN backed the National President of the Association, Arch. Kabir Ibrahim in his recent condemnation of the plan to spend fund that was not appropriated.

They cautioned the FG to be wary of counter group of misleading them.

The statement reads: “AFAN National President’s comments on this are predicated on the press release by the FMARD after the HMA’s official visit and flag off campaign in Kebbi State last week.

“As an NGO who had no office within the FMARD but only had access to information that is already in the public domain our comments are purely a direct response to what was given out by the Minister in his extempore speech in Kebbi.

“The group led by Faruk Rabiu Mudi whom I defeated in 2016 to become the Chairman of the Kano State Chapter of AFAN is known to hobnob with Government from his antecedents in Kano.

“He, in cahoot with a very senior government official in Kano registered an illegal All Farmers Association of Nigeria Kano State Chapter Rc 93484 to supplant All Farmers Association of Nigeria( AFAN) RC. 18161 founded by HE Rear Admiral Nyako, Dr Shettima Mustapha and Dr Femi Coker.

“It is no wonder that he has moved his antics to supplant the National AFAN in collaboration with the current HMA Alhaji Mohammed Sabo Nanono, his benefactor.

“This explains his fierce defence of the HMA’s goof in the N13 billion imbroglio on Facebook.

“It is foolhardy to defend falsehood no matter how much anyone tries.

“How can an NGO be the mouth piece of FMARD and expect any sustainability?

“The long prose put out in defence of the FMARD by Mallam Faruk appears copied and pasted because he does not have that level of lucidity even though that is couched in very poor language.

“A person not properly elected cannot lead duly elected persons as seen when General Ibrahim Babangida tried his hands in diarchy in 1992!

“By denigrating Arc Kabir Ibrahim ,the elected National President of AFAN, a strong APC supporter who chaired the Jigawa State Congresses of 2014, served in the PMB Presidential Campaign council on Admin and Finance as well as election monitoring and specifically in charge of Katsina State Situation room,Malam Rabiu Mudi has exposed himself as the fraud that he really is.

“Arc Kabir Ibrahim was also the Secretary of Lagos State APC congresses and a member of the Ogun State APC Primaries In 2019.

“Arc Kabir Ibrahim participated in politics as Kabir Faskari and out participated his boss Alhaji Sabo Nanono.

“As time goes on the facts will come out regarding the prevailing romance between the HMA Alhaji Mohammed Sabo Nanono and Faruk Rabiu Mudi.

“For now it is very clear that the Faruk led group is Sabo Nanono’s AFAN and it will soon collapse.

“Alhaji Abdurrashid Magaji Rimingado is the duly elected and inaugurated Chairman of All farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN)In Kano State.