Kaduna State Government will in the next three weeks distribute 12,000 metric tonnes worth over ₦10 billion to farmers in the state at no cost to boost agriculture and ensure food security in the state.
Governor Uba Sani disclosed this on Saturday during the State Executive Committee Meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held at the Umaru Musa Yar’adua Hall, Murtala Square Kaduna.
Sani, while recounting achievements recorded within one year of his administration, said that agriculture was one of the key sectors the state was determined to key into.
“We need to invest in agriculture because we contribute about 42.8 per cent of our GDP in Kaduna State.
”As such, in the next three weeks, we are distributing, for free, about 12,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer to our teeming farmers.
“12,000 metric tons today is over N10 billion and in terms of trucks, we are talking of about 500 trucks to be distracted not subsidised and this is all targeted towards reducing poverty in our region,” he said.
Sani recalled that upon assumption to office about a year ago, one of the cardinal focuses of his administration was rural revitalisation.
He added, ”The only way we could do this is by reducing the deficit in terms of infrastructure between the rural and urban local government areas in Kaduna State.
“Today as we speak, we have done the groundbreaking of about 57 roads in the state out of which some have been completed and inaugurated.”
The governor mentioned that amongst several feats recorded in healthcare, the present administration was reconstructing, rebuilding and equipping at least nine secondary healthcare facilities in the state.
He said: “The most important area I want to emphasise here today is that we did not decide to embark on the projects without research, statistics and data because the level of deficit is alarming.
“The only way we could take prosperity to every part of Kaduna State is to ensure we take development to every part of the State and as such, we made it clear to everyone that politics was over.
“I want to seize this opportunity that having thanked the members and leaders of APC who are here, I want to make it clear to all of us that while we play politics, we should not forget about governance.”
According to Snai, governance is also key as the government cannot just take one of those important aspects and sacrifice it because of the others.
He added, “Governance is key and we made it clear after the election that we will take development in Kaduna State everywhere irrespective of party affiliation or any affiliation because we took an oath to be fair to everyone in Kaduna.
“So, we are going to support our party leadership but most importantly, even those that did not vote for us, we must take development to their areas and that is why we are making this progress.
“The reason we have been able to witness relative peace in the state is due to equity and fairness and we should not be distracted by people who are ethnic and religious marchants in Kaduna State.
“We will continue to defeat them by being focused, fair and just to everyone.”
The governor commended the efforts of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajudeen Abbas, describing them as unprecedented.
He said; “At the moment, what the House of Representatives is experiencing in the last year, no Speaker in the history of Nigeria has been able to achieve that fit.
“For me, it’s a glory to Kaduna State that one of us is making us proud on a daily basis.”
Sani added that Abbas had brought about stability in the House within his one year on the seat and has also embarked on the construction of roads in Zaria Local Government. Area
“I urge him to equally look at other local governments within the state where he can extend similar gestures as this is one of the importance of having a Speaker from Kaduna,” he said.
In a remark, Abbas congratulated Sani, saying the last year was characterised by a lot of achievements both in terms of peacemaking and infrastructural development.
“I believe that the next three years will be more successful and impactful in the lives of our people and I urge you to maintain the tempo and find ways of improving,” Abbas said.
The speaker urged the party to use every machinery within its disposal to foster unity, especially amongst the aggrieved party members.
He said: “I urge the party leadership to carry everyone both at the national, state, ward and pulling units level as doing such will be a big investment for us in the future.
“I want to assure you that myself and the Governor are both on the same lane to ensure that all our party members and executives are given priority.”
