OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari

CC:
Professor Yemi Osinbajo
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Senator. Abdullahi Adamu
Femi Adeshina
Dr. Andrew Kwasari
Abubakar Malami

Injustice, Corruption, Sabotage in the Agriculture for Food and Job Programme (AFJP)

30,000 Nigeria Youth involved in the Agriculture for Food and Jobs Plan (AFJP) denied payment by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and rural development (FMARD).

Over 3 Million Farmers denied access to the promised Agri-input loans and others denied subsidies.

Youth denied promised employment by FMARD as Agric Extension officers to boost Nationwide Agricultural productivity.

Your Excellency Sir, your passion and vision for a rapid and sustainable development in the Agricultural sector of the economy is worthy of commendation and admiration. Your recent unveiling of the largest rice pyramid in world history and the country's leadership position as largest rice producer in Africa among other notable achievements cannot go unnoticed. Your administration would go down in history as one that championed an uncommon Agricultural revolution.

Worthy of note is your infrastructural development drive that is rolling out high quality roads and bridges nationwide, modern railway infrastructure in critical route and clear cut policies geared towards revamping our delapidated and neglected national infrastructures.

Time will not permit me to go into details of your developmental stride in our national life as this is not the purpose of this letter. You'll be remembered surely by Nigerian youths as a visionary with few words but massive action.

However, it is with intense disappointment that I express the pains of over 30,000 Nigerian youths who out of sheer patriotism and a desire to make a decent living got enlisted in the Agriculture for food and job Plan AFJP to Enumerate and register small holder farmers who would be issued improved seeds and fertilizer subsidies as well as 0% interest loans in the 36 states of the federation, the FCT and the 774 local government areas as part of the Economic sustainability Plan ESP headed by the Esteemed Vice president of the Federal republic of Nigeria Professor Yemi Osinbanjo.

You Excellency Sir, The AFJP design and plan which was conceived by your special Adviser on Agriculture Dr. Andrew Kwasari in technical collaboration with fmardpace would have been a game changer in rural Agri-financing and development it could have received global commendation as a programme that has visibly and practically lifted millions of Nigerians from poverty but the hope of millions of farmers registered as well as the youth who worked as Enumerators to register and get the geo-spatial information of these farmers were dashed.

Your Excellency, it is quite Unfortunate that the Permanent secretary and Ministers of Agriculture (former and incumbent) have subjected the payment of 30,000 Nigerian youth involved in the AFJP programme to bureaucratic frustration and humiliation. Nigerian youths who were zealous and enthusiastic in revamping our Agricultural sector had their spirit broken by unending promises of payment for work done for over 2years now .

Millions of registered Farmers are denied access to the promised Agri-input loans and others denied subsidies.

The promise of employment of youth as Agric Extension officers to boost Nationwide Agricultural productivity has gone down the drain.

Your Excellency Sir our prayers is for you to use your good office and prevail on the
Ministry of Agriculture to as a matter of urgency:

1. Immediately effect the payment and entitlement of Nigerian youth who worked as Enumerators under the AFJP programme.

2. Pay subsidies to small holder farmers who were sidelined during the last exercise.

3. Pay the promised Agri-input loans to registered Farmers.

4. Employ Enumerators as Agric Extention officer to improve Agricultural productivity.

Thank you
God bless the Federal republic of Nigeria.

Thomas Yahaya Avong
Keffi Local Government
Nasarawa state.
Nigeria.

Lalasticlala do the needful