THE federal government’s decision to close the land borders for two years was for the benefit of farmers in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.
This was disclosed in Katsina by the President, who hailed the farmers for the record production of rice and other food commodities, saying his administration’s agricultural policies were working to good effect.
Buhari recalled that his administration had taken various decisions, including the closure of land borders for two years, for the benefit of farmers who were the driving force of the rural economy.
The President, while addressing elected local government chairmen from Katsina State during their Sallah homage, added: “I have a good understanding of the country and its people. That is why we instituted those agricultural policies. I said we must grow what we eat and eat what we grow.
“This is a country that was once dependent on foreign rice. We closed the border to foreign rice. I said why can’t we eat Nigerian rice, and with the policies put in place, Nigerians are eating home grown rice.”
He stated that with the successful implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), money had been saved from unscrupulous government officials, noting: “I found a tough man (Hamid Ali) for the job at the Customs. One day, he came to me and said that they had intercepted 20 fuel tankers about to cross the border. I said to him, sell the fuel and the tankers and put the money in TSA.
“Before this time, that money would have found its way to the numerous mysterious ‘government’ accounts.”
Leader of the delegation and state Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Ya’u Umar Gojo-Gojo, commended the President for initiating several measures to transform agriculture in order to increase farmers’ income during the last seven years.
He told the President that before now, Katsina people knew how to eat rice, but had no inkling as to how grow and process it, adding: “Today Mr. President, rice is grown in all our communities. There are at least 30 small-scale rice processing mills in the state. People have embraced animal husbandry and they are making a lot of money.”
He also briefed the President on the security situation in the state, saying its amended security law had brought everyone into the mix, including state and local governments, traditional rulers and the ordinary citizens, with each one playing their part in helping to reduce the security threats facing the state.
