News
N141bn Agreements: Reps to Probe Non-Delivery of Tractors, Harvesters
By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has resolved to probe the failure to deliver 2,000 tractors and 100 combined harvesters under the Presidential Food Security Initiative and Hope Agricultural Mechanisation Drive, despite a signed N3bn agreement.
The House also resolved to investigate a separate N138.61 billion agreement between the Federal Government and AFTRADE DMCC for establishing a tractor assembly plant in Nigeria.
This resolution was sequel to a motion by Rep. Saba Adam, lawmaker representing Edu/Moro/Patigi Federal Constituency of Kwara State, on Tuesday at plenary.
Naijablitznews.com recalled that President Bola Tinubu had earlier declared a state of emergency on food security shortly after assuming office, emphasising agricultural mechanization as essential for boosting food production and addressing rising hunger caused by food inflation.
Debating the motion, Rep. Adam explained that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security entered into an agreement with John Deere Tractors to supply 2,000 tractors with implements and 100 combined harvesters annually, aligning with the Renewed Hope Agenda for increased food security.
“The contract for the tractor assembly plant in Nigeria was valued at $70.042m (N3bn), covering equipment costs, sales, after-sales services, spare parts, and training for mechanized service providers,” Adam noted.
He further highlighted that the Ministry also signed a five-year agreement with AFTRADE DMCC for a tractor assembly plant expected to produce 2,000 Belarus tractors and 9,022 agricultural implements annually, costing Nigeria $684.19m (N138.61bn) for equipment, delivery, and assembly.
The lawmaker argued that these agreements promised significant benefits, including increased agricultural production, technology transfer, and reduced foreign exchange spending on imported equipment due to local production.
He however, expressed concerns that no tractors or implements had been delivered, despite the agreements being signed over a year ago.
“The absence of these tractors and implements undermines the Renewed Hope Agenda for agricultural mechanization and delays Nigeria’s food sufficiency goals, with two farming seasons already lost,” he stated.
The House unanimously adopted the motion, and mandated its Committee on Agricultural Production and Services to investigate the non-delivery of the tractors and harvesters, as well as the status of the proposed assembly plants; and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
According to him, such financial mishandling not only disrupts critical public services and projects but also results in major losses to the nation’s purse—resources that could have been channelled into crucial services and developmental efforts, as laid out in Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution.
Speaker Abbas, thereafter setup a Special Committee to be chaired by Rep. Chinedu Martins to immediately launch a probe into the “Utilisation of take-off grants, bailout funds, and interventions allocated to MDAs, government institutions, and GOEs from 2015 to present.”
The FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike, expressed satisfaction with the progress on the Abuja light rail project, reaffirming its May 29 delivery as sacrosanct.
He made these assurances after inspecting the ongoing construction of access roads to the train stations on Wednesday, from Metro Train Station in the Central Area to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Reassuring journalists accompanying him, the minister reiterated that President Bola Tinubu would commission the rail project on May 29 to mark his second year in office.
The visited stations were Wupa station near Idu and Bassanjiwa station near the airport.
“This is part of our routine inspection of ongoing projects to see the contractors’ progress,” Wike explained.
“We are working day and night to fulfill our promise to President Tinubu and FCT residents. By May, Mr. President will ride on the Metro line.”
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen are currently invading some communities in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to sources, the herdsmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed the community around 04:15pm on Thursday.
“Our lives are in danger this evening, armed Fulani herdsmen, about 600 in numbers have taken over our communities this evening,” a resident told SaharaReporters.
“They’re currently moving around towns in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue state. No security personnel at all, Governor Alia didn’t send security, they said operation will start soon once they (herders) have observed the place.”
The insecurity situation in Benue has been alarming in recent weeks with attacks from gunmen suspected to be herdsmen.
The media had reported that suspected herdsmen again unleashed terror in Benue State, attacking three communities in Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) on Wednesday, just a day after 11 people were killed in a deadly raid on Otobi community.
The latest victims of the escalating violence were Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju, communities that had previously suffered an attack in February, which left five people dead.
However, the renewed attack has created fear and mass displacement among residents, with women and children fleeing to safety.
Local sources say the death toll from the fresh attack remains unclear, but several casualties are feared.
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