Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, last week, introduced another dimension in the handling of the affairs of the state. Instead of sitting in his cosy office and receive feedbacks from his aides on some of the challenges farmers experience, he decided to go to the farms to get first-hand information. SOJI ADENIYI reports.
Now, let’s go to the farms!” That was how Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola mobilised his aides as he breezed out of his residence on Wednesday last week. It was not time for any flowing white agbada. Aregbesola wore a grey traditional Yoruba top–dansiki. Before his aides could say “jack”, he had hopped into the waiting caravan bus which he used during his campaigns for the 2014 governorship election.
Thirty minutes of journey from Osogbo, the state capital, the convoy had arrived at Oke Osin in Atakumosa West Local Government Area. The convoy meandered through many other farm settlements, just as many farmers ran out of their houses to catch a glimpse of the governor and his entourage.
Of course, words had gone round that Aregbesola would visit them in their farmsteads to listen to their stories. But not many were convinced that this would, indeed, happen.
The best they had had over the decades was for few representatives of the farmers to be asked to meet officials of the Ministry of Agriculture to lodge their complaints. They hardly got feedbacks, let alone solutions to their problems.
So, incredulity gave way to anxiety. Anxiety gave way to relief when eventually the convoy of the governor rode into the farm settlements; making straight for the farmstead which had been prepared to receive him and his entourage.
No red carpets! There were only plastic chairs and wooden benches arranged under the canopy of dancing cocoa leaves. The bare ground had been covered by a rustling collection of drying cocoa leaves which combined to form beautiful scenery to receive the visitors. Those who could not find chairs sat on cocoa tree trunks.
Accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, former Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Prince Wale Adedoyin and a few other aides, Aregbesola cut the picture of the man who had come to listen to all shades of opinions, no matter how unsavoury, if only that would help him get the true picture of the state of his government’s investment in agriculture.
Though, Chairman, Farmers’ Field School, Mr. Timothy Akingbade, had many words of commendations for the governor and his team, he nevertheless, was categorical on areas which require urgent interventions in order to ensure that government’s investment in the sector is better appreciated.
Akingbade said: “It is only an ingrate that would close his eyes to the ongoing transformation in agriculture sector in this state since the inception of the current administration.
“And, going by the drastic efforts and commitment of this administration at revamping the decadence in agriculture, we can boldly say that the current government has so far attained the feat.
“The only thing to complement the government’s efforts is for us to show more interest in agriculture so as to help government in fulfilling its goal of turning the state to an agricultural hub.”
Akingbade noted areas such as proliferation of fake agro-chemicals, lack of clean water and lack of GSM and internet connections that would require government’s interventions.
Fake agro-chemicals, Akingbade said, remains a major headache as the applications of these ruin farmers’ investments; making many of them become bankrupt.
He suggested that the government should directly be involved in the procurement of the chemicals through partnership with certified manufacturers with the conviction that this would eliminate activities of fake producers.
While acknowledging provision of light through the state’s rural electrification project, Akingbade said the Rural Accessibility Programme (RAMP) has not succeeded in making all the roads motorable, especially for transportation of farm produce from the rural areas to the cities.
Many of the farmers informed the governor that they are educated and that facilities such as internet and GSM services should not elude them.
Akingbade said information technology is so crucial to them at this stage because of the latest information on farming which could be of immense help to boosting their farm investments.
The session provided the opportunity for the governor and the farmers to know the true state of the loans provided by the government to farmers.
While the governor was able to discover that some of the real farmers have been unable to access the loans, some of the farmers were informed about the activities of some of their colleagues who obtained loans but failed to pay back, a situation that has hindered others from accessing the loan facility.
Representative of the Quick Impact Intervention Programme for Farmers, Mr. Eluyemi Arowolo, said the sum of N851, 669, 532.53 had been given out as loans to farmers under the QUIIP 1 and 2 schemes.
Out of this, only N236, 759,413.63 has been recovered.
Arowolo said: “The purpose of this report is to make public the financial commitment of this administration in reviving the glory of the agricultural sector.
“The current government had facilitated credit facilities through the Bank of Agriculture which our farmers had benefited from. The gesture was aimed at enhancing the production capacity of all farmers across the state.
“With this initiative, we have recorded great improvement just as we are hopeful for more benefits.
“Though we are experiencing some challenges in recovering loans given to some of our farmers, we won’t relent in ensuring success in this regard.”
The traditional ruler of the town, the Olosin of Osin, Chief Lawrence Apata said: “Apparently, the disposition of the government is to turn around the state by empowering farmers for greater productivity as well as improve the general well-being of the people.
“The visit of our governor to hold this crucial meeting with farmers in this rural area signifies utmost love, passion and greater sense of commitment to develop the state; most importantly in the area of agriculture.
“We are excited because the visit was the first of its kind in the history of our community.”
Having listened to the farmers, the Governor, who had made notes as the speakers made their points, said his visit had nothing to do with politics or show-off.
“We have come to have first-hand information on how farming activities are going on in the state and to show that government is not just paying lip-service to its commitment to the development of agriculture,” he said.
Within the last three months, Aregbesola had had engagements with farmers, farm produce merchants, relevant officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. All indicate that the focus of his administration is agri-business.
Earlier this year, the government announced that it has taken census of at least 60 million cocoa trees, in an exercise to ascertain the potential of the state in agriculture. That gives the government a rough estimate of revenue that can be generated from this source alone with the right regulations and incentives.
Just last week, the Governor paid a visit to the resuscitated Cocoa Production Company in Ede, which had become dilapidated since 2001.
For months now, Aregbesola’s emphasis has been on agriculture and how it can be turned to goldmine.
He told the farmers: “When there was free money coming from oil, no government considered how agriculture could contribute immensely to the economy. We are back to the days where agriculture will be the main stay of our economy in Osun State. As soon as we have a cabinet, most of our meetings will be held on farmlands.
“In our commitment to support subsistence and commercial farmers, we have so far granted loan of about N1 billion to them and also disbursed the needed facilities and chemicals for the development of their activities.
“To this end, we are resolved to facilitate more benefits and support, to facilitate more participation in farming.”
L’abe Cocoa, (under the canopy of cocoa trees), Aregbesola might just have been, in rare metaphorical language, been seeking for cover from the worsening revenue crisis in Nigeria and the world as well.