Bauchi Govt blames Agric commissioner over wrong spraying of insecticide on farmlands   

By: Ayuba Maffi, Bauchi 

Governor Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir of Bauchi State, on Monday blamed the state commissioner of agriculture over wrongly spraying of insecticide on farmlands, as nearly harvest.

The governor gave the blame during a meeting with the members of the Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, farmers association of Nigeria, Poultry association and others which were held at the AcreSAL hall. Apologized on behalf of the state government. 

He said that “We are now moving towards enforcement which has its own implications. Added that the chemicals chemicals being used can seriously affect the livestock that we are trying to protect.

“Am not aware that chemicals have been spread to people’s farmlands until when a Good Samaritan drew my attention to the issue, which I immediately called the Commissioner to quickly stop the process until next year “

“I have also received several messages from farmers. As a grassroots politician, they know me as someone who listens to the people, and they have made it clear that this approach is not good for either side.

“We must accept some responsibility for the lack of adequate sensitization on the part of the Ministry of Agriculture, because we have BASDP, whose responsibility is to ensure that information gets to the people. 

The governor said that”If this information had been properly disseminated and escalated, we probably would not have found ourselves in this situation, which the timing is also not appropriate. 

“This exercise should have been carried out at the beginning of the rainy season, not when we are almost approaching harvest, in which people are already experiencing hunger and have received very little support from government, local governments, even from themselves because of poverty. 

They are looking forward to harvesting their crops, and then we introduce chemicals that could affect both their crops and the animals we are trying to protect.

“I am not a scientist but common sense tells us that this is not a good approach, which we should have used the authority of the government, which has the legitimate power to enforce laws, to clear the routes mechanically from the beginning of the season,

using caterpillars or whatever appropriate equipment is available. People would understand that there is government, there is law and order, and there are rules that must be followed.

“Doing this when groundnuts and other crops are almost ready for harvest shows a lack of empathy for our people.

“There would not have been all these problems if the government had properly engaged the common associations before enforcing a measure that is intended for the common good.

“I have already instructed the commissioner of agriculture to halt the implementation because the manner in which it was being carried out did not meet my expectations. It was not properly communicated to me, and it was not being implemented in the way I expected.”

“Ministry of Agriculture, you must do your job. It is not that you have lost your voice. You must ensure that you are always present and actively involved in communicating government policies to the people”

“As Governor, I will take responsibility for what has happened not because I personally directed it to be done in this manner, but because it was implemented at the wrong time and in a manner that has caused unnecessary hardship.

The governor, senator Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir said that the situation is not good for livestock farmers, and that the state government must find a solution that protects both crop farmers and livestock farmers.