Enugu State chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has indefinitely suspended the ongoing FISP fertiliser distribution, citing challenges slightly beyond its control. In a statement by the secretary of the association yesterday, Mr L.T. Orekeyi, the current methods of the distribution hit the rock, now forcing “the state EXCOs [to] strategize” on the way forward.
“Following the ugly/unwarranted development in the above posts from dissidents in Enugu East LGA, who might be acting script to please their paymasters and bring Enugu State AFAN to disrepute, we hereby announce the … suspension of the ongoing FISP fertiliser distribution,” the statement began.
Recall that InfoWars reported that Governor Peter Mbah’s administration has facilitated supply of over 11,000 bags of fertiliser for farmers in Enugu State.
The distribution, which had been smooth since a week ago, has, however, faced unexpected glitch due to heightened interests from politicians in the state who are not themselves farmers. One instance was recorded on Tuesday when a permanent secretary of one the state ministries came to disrupt the distribution by force. Even though he wasn’t registered in AFAN’s database, he had come to collect not one bag, but tones of fertiliser from the storehouse. He also wanted to jump long lines of awaiting trucks to collect his.
In addition to the intimidation from some power-drunken elitist, AFAN is facing tremendous pressure from wealthy businessmen who obviously want to hijack the process with naira power. It was alleged that hoodlums were planned to be deployed from Enugu East Local government area to stage unrest at the collection arena and possibly break into the storehouse to steal the incentives on behalf of these capitalists.
Meanwhile, the President of Enugu State Young Farmers Association (ENSYFA), Hon Kenneth Eze, has expressed displeasure over the disruption of AFAN’s activities.
“We’ve registered several thousands of members in AFAN’s database since March. The proofs are there. And now there are only few of our people who have collected yet. This is unfair” Eze said in a phone chat with InfoWars last night.
According to the president, the opportunity to apply the fertiliser on rice farms is eroding fast and members of ENSYFA were “greatly displeased” over the current developments.
“Rice planting requires timing and precision. The time to apply fertiliser is fast passing. Honestly, we feel intimidated. Is it because we’re not moneybags or that we don’t draw huge influence that we would be denied what’s due to us? That’s very unfair”, he continued.
AFAN has already explained that the interests of the participating state governments across Nigeria were considered in Abuja before the release of the fertilisers. According the association, Enugu State Government – like other states’ – had taken 40 percent of the delivery last week as part of the Abuja agreement even though the incentives were exclusively meant for AFAN.
The present interferences is both undermining the association and shortchanging the helpless ENSYFA members. Also, the greed of these top government officials is not just at the roots of the hitches confronting Enugu State AFAN, but it’s also denting the excellent reputation of Governor Peter Mbah’s administration.
Farmers are already facing hell from banditry and other challenges nationwide. For wealthy government functionaries to constitute nuisance and boldly make themselves a menace to young, struggling farmers and families in Enugu State is, in fact, unimaginable.