Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, has directed the arrest of a local chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) over allegations of diverting agricultural inputs meant for farmers under a federal government initiative.
The order was issued during an impromptu inspection of the inputs distribution centres of the federal government’s National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket Programme.
During his visit on Saturday, the governor uncovered irregularities at distribution centres in Birnin Kudu and Kiyawa local government areas. Farmers at the centres reported being denied their allocations, with some targeted beneficiaries left stranded.
One farmer lamented, “The inputs have been sold to traders, leaving us with nothing.”
In Kiyawa Local Government Area, Governor Namadi specifically ordered the arrest of the AFAN chairman for allegedly inflating the prices of the inputs. He expressed dismay over the racketeering and vowed to implement strict measures to curb the malpractice.
“We will not tolerate round-tripping by agro-dealers and their agents,” the governor declared, promising decisive action to protect farmers’ access to essential resources.
