No tractor is missing in Niger — Agric Commissioner

Commissioner for Agriculture in Niger State, Malam Musa Salihu Bawa Bosso, has debunked a viral post on social media insinuating theft of tractors procured by the state government, stating that no single tractor was missing in the state.

The commissioner, while speaking to journalists at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport, Minna, where the tractors were parked, on Tuesday, debunked the post which claimed that some of the tractors procured by the Niger State Government for its agricultural programme, were sighted along the Kaduna-Zaria road heading towards Sokoto and Kano States.

The Commissioner said the social media post was mischievous and aimed at tarnishing the good work and image of the incumbent administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.

While conducting journalists around the site, the Commissioner noted that over 400 tractors out of the 1,000 pieces procured by the government from John Deere Company in the United States of America, were on the ground and none was missing.

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He urged the public to disregard the post as it was mischievous and intended to mislead members of the public.

The Commissioner further disclosed that the delay in putting the tractors to use wasn’t intentional, stressing that the state government was waiting for information from the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NiMet) to flag off the farming season.

“The NiMet has not yet announced the start of the wet season farming. We’re still waiting for information regarding that. Once it is provided, government will flag off the farming season and the tractors will be put into use,” he said.

Bawa Bosso explained that farming has become a huge business, adding that the state government was partnering with organisations that were ready to do business, saying that Union Bank Nig. Plc, Niger Foods and other partners were in the business of farming in the state and not just for grandstanding.

He said the 10,000 hectares of land already earmarked for farming activities in the state were under cultivation and coordinates taken to ensure proper monitoring and coordination of farming activities.

The commissioner stated further that about 100 tractor drivers were given special training out of which some of them will be employed to man the farming equipment.