•Farmers to get 4m fertilizer before Dec
The Presidency has urged Nigerians to demand relief from state and local governments after natural and man-made disasters, as they get the lion share of the Ecological Fund.
Speaking against the backdrop of recent ecological challenges in the country, President Muhammad Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said this, at the weekend, on Hannu da yawa, an audience participation programme on the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Kaduna.
Shehu made the disclosure at the weekend, on Hannu da yawa, an audience participation programme on FRCN Kaduna.
He, however, pledged that president Buhari’s administration would continue to assist flood victims across the country.
“The largest chunk of the Fund goes to the states and local governments. Every month, states and local governments receive 1.4 per cent from the Federation Account as Ecological Fund, compared to the federal government’s share of 1 per cent.
“From the 1 per cent the FG gets, NEMA takes 20 per cent for its operation,” he said.
The presidential aide noted that lately, disaster management in the country is gradually being ceded to the federal government by other tiers of government.
“Whenever there is an emergency from natural or man-made disasters, all you hear is ‘where is Buhari, what is he doing? What happens with the other tiers of government?”
“Nigerians, at the state and local governments, should demand transparency and accountability in the management of ecological funds by their Governors and local government chairmen.
“Without accountability by local political leaders, the federal government would continue to be the scapegoat for the failure of states and local governments to use ecological funds for the purposes they were released,” he said.
At least 16 states have had various degrees of flooding in 2017 with the most prominent being Benue that led to the displacement of thousands of people from their homes.
Shehu reiterated that the Buhari administration will ensure the timely release of the Ecological Fund to states so that they can address their relevant challenges.
“The Buhari administration will under no circumstance abandon its humanitarian obligations to alleviate the distress of flood victims,” he said.
“In spite of Nigeria’s technological limitations and the paucity of funds to handle or manage large scale and complex emergencies, the APC administration will leave no stone unturned in offering succour to victims of natural disasters across the country.”
The presidency has also assured that, through the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI), four million bags of 50 kilogramme Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (NPK) fertilizer would be delivered to farmers, at an affordable price, before the end of the year.
“Speaking on the distribution of four million bags of fertilizer, Shehu disclosed that the 11 fertilizer blending plants in the country will be increased to 18 by the end of the year; which will, in turn, provide direct employment to no fewer than 50,000 Nigerians,” he said.