Fertilizer: For Zamfara Government, It’s Almost One Million Naira Per Bag
By Yusuf Idris Gusau
The Zamfara State PDP chapter may have been very ignorant on the affairs of governance under the present leadership of governor Dauda Lawal, who mechanically manipulates his ways after scaring his staff through intimidation.
We understand that these PDP charlatans want to open up their own can of worms by themselves, especially on this topical issue of fertilizer, which the state government is trying to share and take the credit against Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s agricultural policies by refusing to disclose the 70 trailer load of fertilizer given to the people of the state until when we raised the alarm on the issue that they acknowledged the receipt of 70 trailers and the purchase 75 trailers totaling 145 trailers as stated by the PDP in the state.
While the party gave a different figure of the fertilizer bought by the government, the governor also gave a varying one but be that as it is, after buying the commodity, we calculated that at N38.5 billion, the government purchased it at a stupendous N855,000 per bag because 38,500,000,000 if divided into 75 trailers it will be that the government purchased each trailer at the cost of N513,000,000 which will give a price of each bag costing N855,000 and giving a monumental contract inflation.
However, if it goes according to the statement or the PDP rejoinder that on the 17th June, 2024 the Zamfara State executive council approved the procurement of 120 trucks of fertilizer at the cost of N38,500,000,000 if divided into 120 trailers, it means that each trailer was purchased at the cost N320,000,000 and each bag costed Zamfara State government N534,722 Naira which is also outrageous.
It was also alleged that the supplying company is ZAM AGRO CHEMICALS COMPANY, which to everyone’s knowledge is owned by Governor Dauda, perhaps that explains the absolute mute on who was given the approval.
Records are still there to prove that the same ZAM AGRO CHEMICALS was awarded contract for the supply of fertilizer in 2020 by the APC government but the company collected the money and varnished, now that they feel it’s their birthright as those at the helm of affairs, they owe no apologies to anyone while exploiting the state.
They should be reminded that the records are still there where the governor’s own company collected money for the supply of fertilizer without supply yet they have the audacity to claim Matawalle “subjected farmers into paying money” for the product without giving them when in actual sense, the money is with their boss’s company.
Let PDP or Zamfara State government provide citizens of the State with accurate figures of the fertilizer because governor Dauda Lawal on Tuesday, 20th August, 2024 at the state Ministry of Agriculture gave a total figure of 135 trailers which was widely reported by the media and even the governor’s spokesperson’s statement confirmed it but in contradiction, the PDP issued a statement disputing what the governor said and gave a figure of 145 trailers, so we want to know the correct figure.
So, while the government is beating its chest for buying 75 trailer loadss of fertilizer, we need to query it, at what cost, who the contractor is and why.
Yusuf Idris Gusau is the APC Publicity Secretary for Zamfara State
