All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has
given a recipe of how the new Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammed Mahmood Abubakar, can succeed in his new task.
The farmers implored him to carry along all the critical stakeholders in the agricultural sector to reinvigorate the sector in the quest to achieve food security in the country.
The National President of AFAN, Kabir Ibrahim, who gave the advice in Abuja,also tasked him to work fully all staff of the Ministry without any segregation.”
He further advised Abubakar to allow the Minister of State for Agriculture as well as the Permanent Secretary to perform their functions without any let or hindrance
He added: “For sustainable and impactful performance, the newly appointed Honourable Minister of Agriculture should work fully with all staff of the Ministry without any segregation.The Honourable Minister of State should be allowed to perform his duties without out any let or hindrance.The Permanent Secretary should be allowed to play his role as the accounting officer.The HMA should not listen to gossip from any quarters.
“All stakeholders such as farmer-associations and other non-governmental organisations in the agriculture space should be treated as purely non-governmental and properly involved in driving the activities of the Ministry.All Ministries,Departments and Agencies and their Chief Executive Officers should be treated with the utmost respect and decorum they deserve in order to function properly.
“All institutions involved in any way with agriculture should be treated as partners and the right synergy evolved with them but not to be treated as adversaries ie the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), State Governors, the Food Security Council as well as many development partners”
Ibrahim also lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for the sack of the former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono.
According to him:”The arrogance and downright abuse of office and underperformance of the former Minister of Agriculture is legendary. A fact his antecedents in the various places he worked before have shown. He was sacked from the BON many years ago for similar reasons. He ruined the BCCI(AIB) and today no one can readily point at the ruins of the famous financial giant.
“His sojourn in FMARD saw the near ruin of the octopus since most of the impactful actions in the Agriculture Space are done by the CBN, NALDA and several other agencies instead of the main line Ministry of Agriculture.
“He was known to throw caution and decorum to the wind in all official and even non official matters.At last the wings of the crippled eagle have been clipped and all are happy and hopeful for an imminent reinvigoration of the food system where all stakeholders will participate fully and Nigeria will emerge food sufficient going forward.”
