No fewer than 8,000 bags of fertiliser allocated to the Taraba State Government under President Bola Tinubu's Fertiliser Input Support Programme have gone missing, sparking concerns among farmers and calls for an official investigation.
According to the allocation plan, 12,000 bags were assigned to the Taraba State chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) for distribution to registered farmers, while the remaining 8,000 bags were designated for the Taraba State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to be shared among cooperatives and organised farming groups.
The Director of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Taraba State, Luka Dabut, said the federal ministry successfully handed over the state's allocation to the Taraba Ministry of Agriculture.
"The Federal Ministry received a total of 8,000 bags of NPK and Urea for the Taraba State Government. The fertiliser arrived during my predecessor's tenure, and on assuming office, I found it safely stored in our warehouse," Dabut said.
He explained that after the Federal Government appointed a consultant to oversee the distribution process, officials from the Taraba State Ministry of Agriculture, including the Permanent Secretary and directors, alongside representatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies, witnessed the handover.
"We successfully handed over the entire 8,000 bags to the state ministry. Not a single bag remained in our store," he stated.
However, the Taraba State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Prof. Nicholas Namessan, denied that the ministry ever received the fertiliser. In a text message responding to enquiries, the commissioner said, "There's a Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Taraba State. They handled the distribution by themselves."
While the whereabouts of the 8,000 bags remain unclear, AFAN has commenced the distribution of the 12,000 bags allocated to the association. The exercise is taking place at the Veterinary Warehouse opposite the Christian Centre along FGGC Road in Jalingo.
Farmers who were expected to benefit from the allocation meant for the state government say no distribution has taken place. They have called on security agencies, the Presidency, and Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas to investigate the disappearance of the fertiliser and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
The conflicting accounts from federal and state officials have intensified concerns over the management of the fertiliser intervention programme in Taraba, with many stakeholders demanding transparency over the missing supplies intended to support farmers during the current planting season.
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