NASS calls for amendment of procurement act to fast-track growth of Agric sector
NAN-AE-4
Procurement
By Kudirat Ogunyemi
Abuja, Nov.29, 2016 (NAN) Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, Hon. Mohammed Monguno, has called for an urgent need to amend the procurement act to fast-track growth in Agriculture sector.
A statement issued by the Director of Information in the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Tony Ohaeri, quotes Monguno as saying this, when he led his members on an oversight visit to the ministry.
The team was in the ministry to see the level of execution of the 2016 budget and the constraints faced so as to give necessary supports in the 2017 budget.
He said that for government to achieve its policy of economic diversification through Agriculture, the National Assembly and the executive must work together to review the budgetary system and remove Agricultural sector from the normal budgetary process.
“There is the need for a paradigm shift for Nigerians to see agricultural sector as business especially to encourage youths to go into Agriculture.
“ The National Assembly had passed laws such as the Fertilizer Regulatory Act among others and would continue to enact and amend relevant laws to sustainably develop Agriculture in Nigeria,’’ he said.
The Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, Mukari Chiromawa, demanded more efforts from the ministry, adding that government needs to holistically look at the country’s agricultural policies.
Earlier the Minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh, presented the ministry’s implementation of the 2016 budget and identified inadequate fund, bureaucratic bottleneck in handling procurement processes.
Ogbeh said that the budget released to the ministry was 61 per cent and the sector had continuously experienced decline of budgetary allocations that fall short of Maputo Declaration of 10 per cent of National Budget allocation.
He also highlighted the projects and programme implemented under 2016 budget, despite the challenges faced by the Ministry.
“The ministry had acquired 110 various capacities of rice mills of 10 tons, 20 tons, 50 tons and 50 tons per day for distribution to cluster farmers to boost rice production in the country.
“The Agro dealers, seed companies and fertilizer suppliers had resumed redemption of seeds, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs to small holder farmers under the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES) programme,’’ he said.
Ogbeh who also allayed the fear that the country would experience famine in 2017 said, the Ministry had engaged in the buying- back of assorted grains under the Guarantee Minimum Price Programme.
“For restocking of strategic silo complexes while farmers in some states of the federation had already commenced preparation for the dry season farming to ensure adequate food security across the country.
The minister hinted that the federal government was poised to reform the Bank of Agriculture to serve as a quasi commercial bank to bring the interest rate to a single digit for accessibility to farmers.
Ogbeh also said that 30,000 slots allocated to the ministry under the N- power scheme of the federal government would be trained through the Agricultural Development Programmes as Agric extension workers and distributed to local government areas of the country.
“The fund in Agriculture has to be outside the budget and it is something we should look at extensively.
“ We sought for more legislative supports from the National Assembly in order to have a sustainable agricultural development in the country,’’ he said. (NAN)
(Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi/ Julius Enehikhuere)