By Rabiu Doma, Nasarawa
The new policy of the Federal Government of allocating fertilizer to end users has turned what many believe to be ‘a total deception’ in Nasarawa state.
The e’wallet distribution was designed to address the annual diversion of assorted fertilizer by gullible top Government functionaries and business men – against the alleviation of the plight of the
common farmer. However the e’wallet method of distribution appears to have worsened the situation.
Information available to our reporter indicates that complains trail the new policy.
Some of the affected farmers spoke with 247ureports.com. Most of the farmers that spoke
to 247ureports averred that the e’wallet fertilizer allocation is dead on arrival. The cross section of farmers asserted that they were denied fertilizer in spite of the sms alert send to their mobile phone.
In addition to the fertilizers not being readily available, the prices of fertilizer are said to have been hiked up. It was learnt that two bags of assorted fertilizer that cost N6000 (one bag of NPK and one bag of Urea) with a bag of improved seedlings either maize or rice – are no longer accessible to the end users. Information made available to our reporter indicated that the distributors collected N6,600 instead of the N6000. One of the complainants who gave his name as Huruna Audu said he was charged N6, 600 instead of the
N6000.
Other sharp practices reported by participants include – the collection of N100 by the
‘cellular’ man from each farmer.
The director Federal ministry of agriculture, Umaru Yusuf Mohammed when contacted on phone with a mobile number 08025526531 on Friday at around 9:20am responded that he was on his way to his village to enjoy his weekend. He pleaded with 247ureport to contact him on Monday. On Monday, when Umaru was contacted, he became annoyed and chastised our reporter. In his words, “Umaru said is not in position to comment on the allegation of hike and diversion of fertilizer allocated to Nasarawa state. You are not my employer for that I’m not answerable to you. Why are you intimidating me? You can go ahead and do what you think you can do.”
