A former member of the State Executive Council (SEC) in the last administration of Senator Umaru Tanko Almakura in Nasarawa State, Jameel Zakari has been fingered for allegedly diverting 150 trucks of fertilizers in the state.
This is just as the state government says that it would leave no stone unturned to recover the missing fertilizers meant for farmers in the state.
The former commissioner, however, accused the Jos based blending plant, Bajefta, for breaching contractual deal with the state government, saying, during his tenure, there was no missing fertilizer as such.
Zakari who held sway as the commissioner in the Ministry of Agriculture and water resources, alleged to have diverted the fertilizers with the support of his then Permanent Secretary, Janet James Angbazo.
Zakari, who before his appointment into Almakura’s cabinet was a senior staff of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, while Angbazo is currently serving in the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism as the permanent secretary.
Business Day investigation revealed that the duo was invited by the State Commissioner of Police, Bola Longe to explain their alleged involvement in the missing truck fertilizers.
Findings gathered revealed that they were detained and subjected under thorough interrogation for close to five hours at the state police headquarters before they were released on bail.
Governor Abdullahi Sule has directed the ministry to investigate the diversion to justify government investment in that regard.
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Out of the over 300 trucks of fertilizers procured by Nasarawa State Government for the 2017/2018 cropping season, 150 trucks were allegedly missing for other purposes, yet to be recovered, Business Day gathered.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Water Resources, Otaki Alanana, who is on top of the matter, promised to carry out government directive to the later and to ensure farmers are not shortchanged.
Alanana, told the newsmen, that the State would have approached the Police and the EFCC for appropriate action against those involved under the previous headship of the Ministry, but for the need to be diplomatic and to avoid political misunderstanding.
“Upon my assumption of office last year November, I was confronted with the matter that the state government under the previous administration had procured over 300 tucks of fertilizers for the 2017/2018 cropping season.
“But that 150 Trucks of the fertilizers were not supplied, so I reported the matter to the chairman of the committee under this administration who is the State Deputy Governor, Emmanuel Akabe, who also fed his principal, the state governor, Abdullahi Sule, on the situation, on how best to approach the matter.
“And later involved the police, where the Commissioner of Police in the state took over the matter and invited those who were responsible in defrauding the state,” he explained.
Alanana, however, added that the State Government was on top of the situation on how to reduce the suffering of farmers due to the shortages in the supply of fertilizers in this year’s farming season.
According to him, the State Government had already made plans to purchase, at least, 31 trucks of the commodity to meet the yearning of farmers.
“But that the COVID-19 outbreak slowed the process, and we have also approached the company in Bokkos, Plateau State, where the earlier 300 trucks of the fertilizers were procured on how the remaining 150 trucks can be supplied to the State.
“So in the event of failure on one of the approaches, the other can be possible,” Alanana added.
When contacted, the immediate past Commissioner for Agriculture, Jameel Zakari, explained that out of the 333 trucks that Nasarawa State was supposed to collect from Bajefta Blending Plant in Bokkos, Plateau State, during his tenure, the Ministry got approval to collect 137 trucks in 2017 and 64 trucks in 2018.
Zakari further explained that a total of 201 trucks were claimed to remain the difference of 132 trucks as at the time he left the Ministry in 2018.
“The record can be verified from the Ministry. Anything fertilizer after this is not known to me.
“The Ministry can be approached to know what is collected, if any, in 2019 and beyond.
“For the records, all these numbers of trucks during my time were received and delivered safely to their various destinations, my handing-over note can be referenced, not a single bag out of this was ever reported missing while I was there.
“I think the company defaulted in keeping faith with its own part of the bargain, so the state government should make efforts to recover what was not supplied by the company,” he said.
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