From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Gov Bello
The Permanent Secretary, Kogi State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Emmanuel Idenyi has said that the state government released the sum of #58.560 million to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for Anchor Borrowers Scheme in 2018 to enable farmers benefit from the Programme.
Idenyi disclosed this in Lokoja while presenting the ministry’s budget performances at a state level Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on the state 2020 Agriculture Budget held in Lokoja, the state capital recently.
The permanent secretary also hinted that the five percent equity fund released made the CBN to make available N1 billion for the Anchor Borrowers programme from which 2,680 Small Holders Farmers in the state benefited.
The Stakeholders Consultative Meeting was organised by the state Public Financing of Agriculture (PFA) Committee in collaboration with Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID) with support from ActionAid Nigeria.
Idenyi said under the Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme of the government, 600 earthen ponds were constructed at Geregu, Idah, Ejiba and Adavi-Eba to empower 1000 youths adding that Geregu project had taken off.
He disclosed that out of the N500 million earmarked for agricultural mechanization in 2018, in the state, N377.2 million was paid for the additional 15 Massey Ferguson 375 tractors procured in the past year as well as additional new equipment for repair of old tractors.
This according to him represents 75 per cent budget performance on the budget line item adding that the overall performance of the Ministry of Agriculture capital budget from the budget estimate of N7.3 billion was at N544.3 million representing 7.4 per cent.
The Permanent Secretary however, said there was tremendous improvement in the implementation of the budget in 2018 but attributed cases of poor budget defense by various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to lack of participation of relevant stakeholders in the process.
Idenyi therefore called on government at all levels to make the budget process participatory to enable all stakeholders contribute meaningfully to the budget for timely approval and implementation.
The Chairman of the PFA, Committee, Mathias Okpanachi, said review of the 2018 budget performance revealed issues of poor releases and poor implementation as the bane of budget performance adding that the forum aimed to curtail possible recurrence in the 2019 budget.
Mr. Isah Abdullahi, the representative of the state Ministry of Budget and Planning, who spoke extensively on the need for active citizen’s involvement in the budget processes, promised that 2020 budget for the state would be ready for presentation before October this year.
The Executive Director PIBCID, Mrs Gift Omoniwa earlier in her welcome address said that the purpose of the meeting was to raise awareness and sensitisation of citizens for improved engagement and participation in the budgetary processes of the state.
