| YOUR LETTERS
Ride on Gov. Saraki, with back to farm
The Saraki administration has within 16 months in office set an enviable record of achievements through its vigorous pursuit of people-oriented programmes. The administration has through novel initiatives stamped Kwara state on the map; not only of Nigeria, but of the world so much that at the mention of Kwara today, people remember its governor for blazing fresh and viable trails in various sectors. Today, an average Kwaran is proud to identify with the state.
Perhaps, the boldest initiative of the Saraki administration to date is in the agricultural sector. That agriculture is vital to the economy and well-being of Kwara is beyond dispute. Therefore, it is imperative that a government determined to change for good the course of history of Kwara and its people has to anchor its developmental efforts on rapid and bold development of agricultural practice. Well meaning people are applauding the Saraki administration for making agricultural revolution a major policy thrust, which it has focused on and pursued since its inception by constructive action.
Within its first three months in office, the administration launched a gigantic farming project code-named “Back-to-Farm,” and put the local farmers at the core. Under this project, 1,000 hectares of land was cleared and cultivated for 1000 local farmers. The beneficiaries and other interested local farmers were supplied, on credit and at highly subsidized rates, seedlings of maize, soyabean, castor and cassava, fertilisers and chemicals. Extension officers from the Kwara Agricultural Development Project (KWADP) were sent out to these farms to assist the local farmers with technicalities, government bought at market price all produce harvested in the year 2003 season.
It takes a man of vision to make an impact. Credit needs to be given to the executive governor of the state Dr. Bukola Saraki, a medical doctor, accomplished banker and financial expert turned politician, whom God almighty has endowed with wisdom and mission to cushion the age-long hardship and toiling of Nigerian peasant farmers through the many benefits that come with this white farmers initiative, thereby, making farming more profitable.
It is indeed a cheap shot and deliberate mischief on the part of KPM and its cohorts to try to misinform and confuse the general public about the unprecedented efforts of the Saraki administration to revolutionise Nigeria’s agriculture sector with the advent of the Zimbabwean farmers. The mischief of these armchair critics pale into insignificance when one analyses the monumental benefits derivable from this project.
These foreign farmers are professionals coming with their skills, technology and wealth of experience for our local farmers to learn from, thereby, enhancing the productivity of the local farmers, and transforming the face of farming in Nigeria. Above all, it will promote infrastructural development, enhance the emergence of many agro-allied processing factories and advance the revitalization of ailing industries like the Bacita Suger Company. It is indeed a win-win situation for all. The prospect for Kwara and indeed the whole country is tremendous. It is a noble effort to evolve Nigeria’s first mass-oriented commercial farming, hence, no amount of government’s incentives could be too much to bring to success this novel initiative.
Femi A. Adetola
No. 63, Old Yidi road, Ita Amodu, Ilorin.
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