We inherited a bogus N67bn debt in the agric sector, from the Jonathan administration- Ogbeh
Tue Aug 02, 2016 07:54:am National
1.7K By Buchi Obichie
At a Town Hall Meeting held for political, religious, judicial and faith-based groups at the Nike-Lake Resort Hotel in Enugu on Monday, the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said that the Buhari administration inherited a bogus debt of N67 billion in the agricultural sector, from the Jonathan administration.
According to Ogbeh, the debt had been incurred under the guise of procuring seedlings by the previous administration.
Frowning at the prostrate level of agriculture in the country and criticizing the Jonathan-led administration of "padding," Ogbeh lamented thus: "We met a debt of N67 billion in the Ministry when I took over office. When I investigated, we found out that contractors took fertilizer to nearby countries like Niger Republic, sold them there and procured invoices to show that they supplied them to us. Jonathan claimed his administration spent N67 billion procuring seedlings whereas they merely spent N2.5 billion. That is padding. We now have a balance of N65 billion to pay back.
That amount is twice my ministry's budget this year. We have managed to pay back N20 billion; all these are what have been hampering agricultural development in the country. We will establish 774 branches of the Bank of Agriculture in all the council areas nationwide once the economy improves."
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who also spoke at the Town Hall meeting, said the change promised Nigerians by the All Progressives Congress, APC, was neither a ruse nor false, and that there was already a manifestation of the change mantra in every sector of the nation.
According to him, it was no longer business as usual, despite insinuations in certain quarters that Nigerians were not feeling the impact of the Government.
Mohammed stated: "Many have said they are yet to see the change we promised just as others have doubted us.
"The fact is that most people are now mocking us. But we remain undaunted because we know that the change we promised is real.
"In fact, the change we promised is already here, and it is manifesting all around us.
"Before now, public officials simply opened the public till, took as much money as they wanted and walked away without consequences.
"That explains why funds allocated to the military to fight Boko Haram ended up in the piggy banks of many unscrupulous Nigerians
"Today, all those who looted the public treasury are being made to answer for their actions, as impunity has given way to accountability.
"Many have offered to return their loots, and many more are facing charges."
According to Ogbeh, the debt had been incurred under the guise of procuring seedlings by the previous administration.
Frowning at the prostrate level of agriculture in the country and criticizing the Jonathan-led administration of "padding," Ogbeh lamented thus: "We met a debt of N67 billion in the Ministry when I took over office. When I investigated, we found out that contractors took fertilizer to nearby countries like Niger Republic, sold them there and procured invoices to show that they supplied them to us. Jonathan claimed his administration spent N67 billion procuring seedlings whereas they merely spent N2.5 billion. That is padding. We now have a balance of N65 billion to pay back.
That amount is twice my ministry's budget this year. We have managed to pay back N20 billion; all these are what have been hampering agricultural development in the country. We will establish 774 branches of the Bank of Agriculture in all the council areas nationwide once the economy improves."
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who also spoke at the Town Hall meeting, said the change promised Nigerians by the All Progressives Congress, APC, was neither a ruse nor false, and that there was already a manifestation of the change mantra in every sector of the nation.
According to him, it was no longer business as usual, despite insinuations in certain quarters that Nigerians were not feeling the impact of the Government.
Mohammed stated: "Many have said they are yet to see the change we promised just as others have doubted us.
"The fact is that most people are now mocking us. But we remain undaunted because we know that the change we promised is real.
"In fact, the change we promised is already here, and it is manifesting all around us.
"Before now, public officials simply opened the public till, took as much money as they wanted and walked away without consequences.
"That explains why funds allocated to the military to fight Boko Haram ended up in the piggy banks of many unscrupulous Nigerians
"Today, all those who looted the public treasury are being made to answer for their actions, as impunity has given way to accountability.
"Many have offered to return their loots, and many more are facing charges."
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