PRESS STATEMENT: FINANCE MINISTRY HANDLING PAYMENT FOR GES INPUT SUPPLIES

Our attention has been drawn to a malicious and misleading publication onPointblanknews.com, an online medium, accusing the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Chief Audu Ogbeh, and his Minister of State, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, of bribery in connection with payment of fertiliser suppliers.

The write-up, replete with inconsistencies, contradictions, incorrect details and allegations that were generally baseless and particularly mischievous, alleged that FMARD is in charge of payments to contractors, when, in fact, the Federal Ministry of Finance is saddled with these. The online news medium needs to do thorough investigations before amplifying any allegations brought to it by any complainant.

FG to fund youths in Agriculture with $300m

As a way of bridging the funding challenge in the agriculture sector, the Federal Government has announced plans to invest $300 million to fund youths in the sector, adding that 20 per cent of an initial grant by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in collaboration with the Islamic Bank is to be channeled to support the development of women and youth in Agriculture at a total cost of N100m annually for a five year period.
This was disclosed yesterday by the Minister of state for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri while fielding questions from newsmen at a media briefing to declare open the Empowering Novel Agri-Business Led Employment, ENABLE, conference in Abuja.