From Salisu Zakari Maradun, Gusau
Barely a week after the official flag off of the sales of fertilizer in Zamfara state, farmers in the state, have continued to reject the commodity which they described as waste and misplacement of priority”, checks by The Authority had revealed.
The flag-off of the sales of the fertilizer which was conducted in Gusau capital of the state by governor Dauda Lawan had also witnessed poor turn-out as the people are no longer interested in attending government activities which they labeled as window dressing.
The Authority reliably gathered that the arrangement made during the flag off of the sales of the commodity was only a deceit as there was no normal pyramid as obtained in other states which is also the sign of the sale traditionally.
According to the checks, the fertilizer sales may not succeed as majority of the farmers have already completed almost all their farming activities through the use of local manure and other means that effectively facilitated their activities successfully.
The few farmers that were in attendance at the occasion and other government officials were only seen in a bad mood which may be one of the reasons the governor was not cheered at on his arrival at the venue of the occasion.
Many of the farmers who spoke to our correspondent in connection with the sale of the commodity expressed their grievances over what they termed as “I don’t care activities” being exhibited by the administration of the state.
“This is total madness”, explained one, Danladi a farmer in kwatarkwashi town which is only nine kilometers away from Gusau the state capital.
According to him , it is too late now for any governor to think of such activity when almost all the farm products are only waiting for harvest, and none of the seeds need any application of fertilizer.
He explained that it was wrong of governor Dauda to have even thought of the sale of fertilizer at this material time when about halt of the products have arrived home.
“May be this man (governor) has never been to farm, or a farmer, otherwise he would not have thought of bringing this issue of fertilizer sales now after everything has been cleared,” stated Hajiya Zulaiha, a 62 year old woman farmer in Bungudu an outskirt of Gusau.
Also Hajiya Zulaiha said fertilizer is only sellable and useful by three weeks before the commencement of rainfall every year, but in a situation like now it is useless because according to her the chemical is only good in destroying food crops now. “said she, the governor should have thought of distributing assorted grains to the people instead of fertilizer because that is what we need now everybody knows that people are hungry desperately looking for what to eat. And we learned that so many different food items have been supplied by the federal government to the state for distribution to the people to cushion their hardship, but up to now we have not seen any in our state”. she wondered.
“Even the fertilizer the governor launched was that of the federal government, we don’t know where that of the state government had been kept”, stated Mal. Dalhatu Shehu, a grinding machine operator and a resident of Tullukawa area in Gusau.
