Critics of Jigawa sugar project mischievous – Badaru

Jigawa State Governor Mohammadu Badaru Abubakar said those criticizing his government for taking over farmlands for a sugar estate to be developed by a Chinese investor are either ignorant or mischievous.

Badaru said this at the weekend when members of the Conference of Northern States Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (CONSCCIMA) visited him in Dutse.

He said by the time his government took over a letter of grant of 12,000 hecters of land had already been issued to the investor by the previous administration but without regard to due process.

Badaru said they had to review what they met on ground by asking the investor to pay compensation to all affected farmers, adding that out of the land 12,000 hectares 6,000 hectares would be given back to the farmers for sugarcane farming on outgrower basis and also for inter-cropping of crops of their choice.

“A lot has been said about this project but some people who chose to be mischievous or do not understand the project were accusing us of taking over farmers land and giving out to investors. That is not true.

“The farmer gets compensation, gets half of the sugar estate and gets half of another farm. This means his 100 per cent farm is back.

“When we do the numbers they make more profit with that half a hecter being harvested twice a year because of the irrigation facilities in place. We foresee the farmers making 350 times more than what they normally do in their farms.”

In her remark, the Chairperson of CONSCCIMA, Saratu Iya Aliyu commended the governor for creating an enabling environment in the state for investors.