Juliana Taiwo
26 November 2008
Abuja — The Federal Executive Council presided over by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, which lasted over seven hours, has approved contracts valued at about N11.5 billion for the control of erosion and other environmental degradation in 24 states of the federation.
This consists of 31 projects as part of the major trust of the administration to confront flooding, erosion and environmental degradation across the country.
The benefiting states are - Imo, Anambra, Abia, Ogun, Kaduna, Edo, FCT, Gombe, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Kogi, Benue, Bauchi, Borno , Yobe, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Osun, Enugu, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Ekiti states.
The governors of the South-east geo-political zone had on October 31, 2008 confronted President Yar'Adua jointly with the reality of the situation and demanded a redress in the interest of equity, justice and fair play.
Governors Theodore Orji, Ikedi Ohakim, Peter Obi, Sullivan Chime and Martin Elechi of Abia, Imo, Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi States respectively had at the meeting asked that the South-east zone be declared an ecological disaster zone, expressing regrets that successive federal administrations over the years had looked the other way while the natural disaster of erosions wrought incalculable havoc in the area.
Addressing State House Correspondents yesterday, the Minister of Environment, Urban and Housing, Chuka Odum, told State House Correspondents that, "You will recall that the problem of environmental degradation especially gully erosion at the Eastern part of the country has become a recurring issue. This has presented a major trust of the commitment of the federal government to ensure this problem is confronted headlong."
Also briefing the Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Sayyadi Abba Ruma, in company of the Minister of Information and Communication, John Odey, said the council approved N7.75 billion for the Guarantee Minimum Price programme which is aimed at buying farm produce. The scheme according to the minister would act as incentive to farmers.
Ruma said, "the approval of N7.75 billion for the guaranteed minimum price on the account of the bumper harvest that we hope to happen this year with prompt deliveries of fertilizer, reasonable amount of rainfall that we have gotten this farming season, it is certainly expected that there will be a bumper harvest.
"It is on account of this, the ministry of agriculture and water resources reviewed the existing buyer plan resource framework which after extensive consultations and stakeholders meeting, we discovered may not continue to be in the best interest of our individual small scale farmers, who will immediately after harvest will be looking forward to opportunity to dispose off their farm products. So we decided to introduce the guaranteed minimum price."
This was practice in this country before and was stopped I think in 1985 but we believe it is better to effect a retooling of this such that our farmers will leverage on the framework in other to sufficiently strengthen them and immediately after harvest rely on a mechanism that will give them the best of protection.
"Council therefore gave approval for the purchase of about 194,600 metric tonnes of assorted food commodities for storage in our various silos for our national strategic food reserve. But of course we not in the best position to extend it to all food items. Therefore there are selected ones in compliance to of course best practices that remain candidates for the guaranteed minimum price. This include maize, sorghum, millet, paddy and garri.
"We are undertaking the purchase of 82,000 metric tonnes of maize, 57,500 metric tonnes of sorghum, 37,000 metric tonnes of millet and 14,000 metric tonnes of paddy rice and 4,100 metric tonnes of garri and this is likely to cost about N7.75 billion.
"The interesting thing about the GMP (the guaranteed minimum price) which is the protected price of the farmer, is that we will commence its implementation through our accredited buying licence agents through as a protected price mechanism, unlike what obtains before, we have accredited two licensed buying agents per state, directly them after purchase to carry this produce to our designated silos which the current storage capacity is about 300,000 metric tonnes and we are embarking on close to 200,000 metric tonnes.
"This in fact happen to be a major outing compared to what it was in the last 30 years I believe, there has never been a major outing like this magnitude. The names of the successful buyer licensing agents would be made public, there are about 64. This also has reduced the number as it was before. It is important for people to realise that we may not be in the position to compartmentalise in order to make the implementation of this programme another realise of handouts. And so we have reduced the number from about 1,000, 2000 to 64 not more than two par state and it based on performance within a specified time line. We are giving not more than 21 days within which we expect those that have succeeded from the competition to perform otherwise they will be substituted with those that have found equally competent", he said.
The Council also gave approval for the ministry to remain as it was before the proposal of the de-merger of the ministry of agriculture and water resources in other to consolidate the gains that the ministry has recorded so far.
"The approval of a consultant of the supervision of another major irrigation project. The Rima River valley irrigation project phase 2 in Sokoto State which has an irrigation capacity of close to 2,000 hectares the contract was approved in April 2007 with a total cost of about N20 billion and council has granted approval for the supervision and monitoring of the project".
Another approval granted at yesterday council meeting is the contract for the supply of three number power transformers for the use in transmission sub-stations in the sum of N2, 750,910,950.45billion.
Letter of credit will be opened to ensure speedy procurement and payment.
In the Health sector, council approved contracts for the completion, construction and installation works at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital , in the sum of N317, 845,838.63million.
The memo for the construction of a 25 meter Radio Telescope antenna at the centre for Basic Space Science permanent site, Nsuka in the sum of N276million brought by the Minister of Science and Technology was also approved.
Also, the council approved the award of contract for the direct purchase of five numbers of Otis model lifts for the ministry of Finance in the sum of N147, 670,425.00. It replaces the existing ones".
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