Source: THISDAY
By Festus Akanbi
Saturday, September 25, 2010



Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki said at the weekend that the anticipated breakthrough in the nation’s economy can only be realised when adequate attention is given to large scale farming in Nigeria.
Saraki, who is one of the presidential aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said if he emerges the next president of the country at the forthcoming general elections, he would concentrate on policies that will boost commercial agriculture in the country.

According to him, the success of white farmers in the area of commercial agriculture in Kwara State has shown that with the needed political will and an enabling environment, the nation could reap bountifully from agricultural sector.

Speaking to a select group of editors in Ilorin on Thursday, the presidential hopeful said with what the Zimbabwean farmers were able to achieve in Shonga Farms in Kwara, government has no business in venturing into agriculture. He said, rather, government should initiate policies and actions to encourage private sector participation in agriculture.

Saraki said the challenges being faced by the white farmers in Kwara have shown that certain policies needed to be put in place at the national level to ensure regular flow of funding to farmers through active participation of institutions like banks, among others.
He said: “If Nigeria must grow, we need to develop agriculture. It is not important to do it the way it is being done in Kwara, but the fact remains that there is an urgent need to develop agriculture in this country.
He said Nigerians won’t be talking about food sufficiency at this period if the Kwara example could be replicated in other parts of the country.

He dismissed insinuations that white farmers were fronting for some people in government. The governor confirmed that there were unfounded rumours about the project, but he said he is undaunted.
He said: “If not because I’m committed to the project, we would have abandoned it considering the wave of lies and politically-motivated rumours on the project,” the governor said.

Is he planning to set up his private family owned farms in all states of the federation?
From reading the article, he doesn't even have the slightest idea of how to approach the task he has set himself;

If Nigeria must grow, we need to develop agriculture. It is not important to do it the way it is being done in Kwara, but the fact remains that there is an urgent need to develop agriculture in this country.

. . .Sounds like a highly confused man. If you promise something, we want to know how it will be delivered, how point a connects with point b. The days of "I will put airconditioners in every village hut" are gone.

[size=14pt]Saraki = Clueless[/size]

How many indigineous farmers are there in Kwara?