BY ADAMU BELLO

Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored – Aldous Huxley I have decided to put on record the authentic performance of the Agricultural sector of the Nigerian economy from the year 2000 to 2013. I say authentic in the sense that the source is the National Bureau of Statistics, which is statutorily responsible for national economic data jointly with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

I have decided to use 2000 as the base year as I took over as the Minister of Agriculture on the 8th of February 2001. I hold myself responsible for the performance of the sector from 2001 to 2007, noting however that my last full year in office was 2006. I admit, with full appreciation and gratitude, to the guidance, direction, support and cooperation I received from President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, who I used to call Chief Minister of Agriculture because of his total involvement and the vanguard role he played in the various presidential initiatives that were undertaken. I also want to put on record the support I received from all the state Governors particularly Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, CON. Worthy of mention at the Government level also was the support received from all the Deputy Governors of that period especially the role played by President Goodluck Jonathan as he was at that time the Subcommittee Chairman on Rice Production under the Presidential Initiative on Rice where he served creditably well. All the stakeholders, especially farmer groups and cooperatives, were most helpful. The table below displays the performance of the Agricultural sector in terms of GDP growth:

PERFORMANCE OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR Year Growth Rates of GDP for Agricultural Sector 2000 2.95% 2001 3.88% 2002 4.25% 2003 6.47% 2004 6.50% 2005 6.70% 2006 7.40% 2007 7.20% 2008 6.30% 2009 5.90% 2010 5.60% 2011 5.60% 2012 3.97% (Target 8%) 2013 4.50% (Target 8%) Source: National Bureau of Statistics / Central Bank of Nigeria – Annual Reports (http://www.cenbank.org/documents/annualreports.asp)

From the performance levels indicated, the growth rate of the Agricultural sector has been on the decline since President Olusegun Obasanjo left office. I have however noticed that the achievements being mentioned at various fora especially by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, have no basis except that they were stated by the Honourable Minister in charge of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (pictured). I have personally spoken with the SSA as to his source and he gentlemanly told me that he got all he said from the Minister. I reminded him that there are independent government agencies especially the National Bureau of Statistics that he should check with, and he promised to take up the issue with the Minister and revert back to me.

Fertilizer Claims On the issue of fertilizer, it is only God the Almighty that will judge the unfair way past administrations are being portrayed. To claim that there was subsidy of N870 billion spent on fertilizers since the use of fertilizers was initially encouraged by the Government about 40 years ago is most unfair, as I doubt if the entire agricultural budgets for the whole period was up to that sum. For a fact, from 1999-2007, the total subsidy on fertilizers was under N25 billion. This can be verified from the Budget Office of the Federal Ministry of Finance. However, according to Dr. Adesina the subsidy which was abused and corruptly taken was claimed to be N26 billion annually over a period of 40 years. He further claimed only N2.9 billion reached the farmers annually. Any discerning person can see clearly that under Obasanjo’s administration, we had only N3 billion on average per annum for fertilizer subsidy. How can N26 billion be corruptly taken annually when only N3 billion was allocated annually? And where did the figure of N870 billion subsidy on fertilizers come from when only about N25 billion was committed in eight years, which represent 20% of the 40 years mentioned? It is clear that there is no basis for the claim being made by Dr Adesina except for the purposes of getting unearned awards at the expense of those who served in previous administrations. Middlemen in Fertilizer Distribution The Minister of Agriculture proudly stated that he stopped corruption of 40 years in 90 days. This statement is misplaced, as over the purported period, he had not overseen the purchase of a single bag of fertilizer. This can only be accepted as a statement of intent and not an achievement. Dr. Adesina can only claim this as an achievement if there was successful supply of fertilizers to farmers during that period. Under the Obasanjo administration, we NEVER HAD A SINGLE MIDDLEMAN. Fertilizers were sent directly to state governments that then arranged distribution to their own farmers.

It is a great pity that Dr. Adesina keeps on making claims instead of doing his job and allowing to be judged afterwards. I would not have had any problems with his false claims except that it tends to disparage those who served before him and their respective Presidents. Facts on the Nigerian economy should be taken from the National Bureau of Statistics and the CBN, not plucked from space, massaged and deployed to malign others, pull wool over the eyes of members of government and the public, and gain unearned credits.

I hereby appeal to the Government to set up an inquiry into the spurious claims on the Agricultural sector by the Minister to stop the embarrassment of the country, particularly when his bogus statements on performance can be easily dismissed with highly reliable and readily available data from the National Bureau of Statistics. *Bello was minister of agriculture (2001-2007).

Read more at: http://www.thecable.ng/many-lies-adesina-agric-minister | TheCable

lol

They have started shooting from all angles

used to respect this man ooh

Though I like his personality but he runs his mouth too much just to please his master as one of the foremost loyalists.

Jonathan's agents keep turning out contradictory reports.

These CBN figures show agriculture is declining under Jonathan while Mimiko,Jonathan,Adesina,Okupe are lying about achievements in agricultural sector.The same way the National Bureau of Statistics released declining electric supply of 2,950MW while Okupe yesterday lied that Jonathan has improved power to 4,850MW.

Cc:Omenka,Obiagellin,Gbawe,berem,donphilopus,holatin need to see this.

Not to malign d gej administration,but d way d agric minister has bn going on and on about his achievements looks suspicious.If agric has done so well under his tenure y aint we seeing its mitigating effect in dis period of declining oil prices.
What also happened to d noise about cassava bread.
It cud b dt agric has improved,but verifiable facts nid to b put forward,not churned out info from d minister and govt

doctokwus:
Not to malign d gej administration,but d way d agric minister has bn going on and on about his achievements looks suspicious.If agric has done so well under his tenure y aint we seeing its mitigating effect in dis period of declining oil prices.
What also happened to d noise about cassava bread.
It cud b dt agric has improved,but verifiable facts nid to b put forward,not churned out info from d minister and govt

you must be the lazy type that sit at home and complained about everything.
I started my farm late last year and I know how much I made from my produced through the assistance of the federal ministry of agriculture

The agriculture minister always cracks me up with his bogus claims which he plucks from the air and are NOT based on any empirical facts.
He claimed rice is being harvested locally but consumers can not find a grain in the markets. All we see are foreign brands smuggled in daily through Seme and Idi Iroko borders.

First criticism i am seeing on Minister of Agriculture

Those kind of men with sweet mouth like the agric minister are 419

laimo:
Jonathan's agents keep turning out contradictory reports.

These CBN figures show agriculture is declining under Jonathan while Mimiko,Jonathan,Adesina,Okupe are lying about achievements in agricultural sector.The same way the National Bureau of Statistics released declining electric supply of 2,950MW while Okupe yesterday lied that Jonathan has improved power to 4,850MW.

Cc:Omenka,Obiagellin,Gbawe,berem,donphilopus,holatin need to see this.

hahahahaha they are like a thief preaching thief will go for hellfire, who are they deceiving, there self and the gullible nigerian

And the campaign of calumny continues..

Don't worry, the otuke fisherman is going to be jailed by mid of 2015

SLIDEwaxie:
Don't worry, the otuke fisherman is going to be jailed by mid of 2015

i hope you got your handkerchiefs at hand

Who doesn't know that lying is this admin's umbilical cord. Severe it and watch the administration die a slow painful death!!

What a shame!

TheMadame:
The agriculture minister always cracks me up with his bogus claims which he plucks from the air and are NOT based on any empirical facts.
He claimed rice is being harvested locally but consumers can not find a grain in the markets. All we see are foreign brands smuggled in daily through Seme and Idi Iroko borders.

I went to a rice shop and asked a seller if they stock bagged Abakaliki rice, she said nooo but Ebony gold was staring at me in her shop. She doesn't know. I am sure most of you do not know.

I have talked about the lies of this agric miniter on this forum for the past 2 years, ignorant folls hete labeled my HATER. The truth can't hide for ever. This is my industry.