FIC Report (Nasarawa State) – The Vice-President, Sen. Kashim Shettima has applauded Gov Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State for the numerous achievements recorded in the agricultural sector.
Shettima gave this commendation on Friday in Lafia during the distribution of tractors, and paddy rice to the 13 Local Government Areas of the state and distribution of relief materials to 2000 flood victims.
The vice-president commended Gov Sule for key into the renewed hope food security agenda of the federal government under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“For the monumental accomplishments in Agriculture, Nasarawa state is an agriculture powerhouse of the nation.
“Beyond being a home of solid minerals, Nasarawa State is in the position to feed the whole of the nation.
“We will continue to identify with you under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, we will render whatever support necessary to see that this nation gets out of this present challenge,” he said.
According to him, empowering the local government areas and traditional rulers with modern agriculture implements and seedlings is essential to record great progress in agriculture.
“Agriculture is all about an increase in yield, that is the driving force, and without mechanization, and without imbibing modern agricultural practices that much-touted increase yield and aspirations will continue to elude us.
“Traditional rulers are the closest leaders to the people and most of them are farmers if not all of them, Local Governments are institutions that hold our people, and empowering them with tractors and other agricultural implements is absolutely essential.
“By the grace of God we are going to record a bumper harvest in the upcoming agricultural season,” he said.
The President said the country was on course to sustain growth as the economy has picked up, noting that the worst time was over.
He applauded Gov Sule on peacebuilding that resulted in the harmonious and peaceful coexistence of different ethnic and religious groups.
“There can never be development without peace and there can never be peace without development,” he emphasised.
In a remark, Gov Abdullahi Sule thanked the Vice President for the support provided by the federal government in a cash amount of N3 billion as the ecological fund to all the states affected by the flood.
Sule disclosed that parts of the ecological fund released to the state were used to build collapsed bridges and drainages to checkmate flooding.
He explained that the remaining fund was used to procure building materials and some palliative to victims of the flood in the five local governments in the state.
Governor Sule also stated that out of the 2000 hectares of rice farmed 90 percent of the produce has been sold to Olam rice while the remaining 10 percent of the rice paddy will be distributed to all the 13 local governments for cultivation.
The Vice President performs other functions such as ground groundbreaking of one Stop Investment Centre, graduation of 1,128 trained skills acquisition from the Wind Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technology Institute.
Signed
ARI, LIMAN AMINU.
HEAD OF CENTRE,
FIC, LAFIA.