150,000 Jigawa farmers yet to receive NEMA’s flood support

No fewer than 150,000 farmers from Auyo and Kafin Hausa local government areas of Jigawa State have complained that they have not received relief funds donated by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in 2020 to cushion the effects of the flood that destroyed their farm produce during the last rainy season.

The farmers said hunger was threatening many of them as they did not have food and they had no capital for the next farming season.

Flood destroyed hectares of farmland during the last rainy season in the two areas.

Haruna Muhammad, one of the flood victims from Auyo Local Government Area, told Chronicle that it was not easy for them living without food to eat in their villages.

The chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Jigawa State chapter, Alhaji Idris Ya’u Mai Unguwa, said that the two local governments were the largest producers of crops an most affected by the flooding in the state.

He added that as an association, they ought to have known where the support promised by NEMA was being kept as it had not got to its rightful beneficiaries.

“President Buhari and Governor Badaru have done a good job by supporting the farmers with relief materials which was distributed to those affected. But what is presently disturbing us is the whereabouts of the Auyo and Kafin Hausa LGs‘ support. They did not receive anything and they have the largest number of farmers in the state. They have 150,000 farmers and they are the centres of farming in Jigawa,” he added.

He urged the government and other stakeholders to intervene in the matter and save the farmers from hunger that was threatening their lives.

Mr Manzo Ezikiel, spokesperson NEMA said the agency was doing everything possible to ensure that fertilizer allocated to farmers in Jigawa state under the Agricultural intervention programme reached the beneficiaries..

He said was caused by the COVID-19 lockdown but assured that they were interfacing with other agencies to ensure delivery.

``NEMA is aware and even the state government is aware of some of the challenges. NEMA is doing everything possible to ensure that these materials are made available to the farmers to enjoy the full benefit of the kind gesture of Mr. President. But there is no intention on the part of NEMA refusing to do this and is not relaxing in any way towards carrying out this project. So we are sympathizing e with them,’’ he said.