Alhaji Bello Zabarmawa, a businessman from Kebbi State has refuted claim that he ownedthe 200 hectares rice project in Magboro, Obafemi Owode Local Government, Ogun State.
Zabarmawa who is the Seriki of Hausas in Magboro while reacting to the report revealed that the state government had contributed massively to the success of the rice farm.
He noted that he was misquoted in the said report, saying that he never mentioned he owned the project but that the project belonged to 200 farmers .
Zabarmawa explained that the state government provided tractors, fertilizers before commencing the rice project, saying that the farmers covered the remaining 50 per cent.
He added that when the rice was ready for harvesting, he notified the government through the Young Agro Services Limited, which was contracted by the state government as a service provider for the farmers.
Zabarmawa informed that the government provided three harvesters and covered 65 per cent of the work while the farmers were entitled to contribute 35 per cent.
” I saw a publication claiming that the government did not help us with what we are doing on this rice farm. Whereas the government has helped us with everything here.
” We have Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa farmers here on our farm.
“When we started this rice farm, the government supported us 50 per cent in the process of providing tractors, fertilizers, and more and the farmers covered the remaining 50 per cent.
“If you look at this farm you can see that the government has supported us drastically and people should stop lying that the government hasn’t supported us.
” We have 200 members who did their registration and we have their names, and each of them covers one hectare,” Zabarmawa said .
Also, the Chairman , Alubarika Farm Cluster, Mr. Adelowo Salam, emphasized that the state government had been so helpful to the farmers through the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP) and service provider, Young Farm Service Limited .
He maintained that Gov. Abiodun had promised to expand the farmland by another 2,000 hectares because of the potential seen in the farmers.
In his reaction to the false publication, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) , Young Farm Service Limited, Mr. Johnson Ajibola cautioned anyone trying to use political affluence to sabotage the effort of the state government on food security.
Ajibola explained that due to the performance of the Alubarika Farm Cluster, the state government had promised to expand the land and improve food security.
He expressed displeasure on the false publication that an individual owned the rice farm, saying that he had the names of all the 200 beneficiary farmers.
” I am ready to take legal action on the purveyor of such false publication and I have consulted my lawyer on them.
” All these 200 farmers supported during the process though they might not have sufficient capital. Alhaji Zabarmawa gave them support in terms of fertilizer, and chemical.
” The government pays us 65 per cent. Do you know how many millions are they going to use to cultivate 200 hectares of rice farms? Each cost nothing less than a million naira to cultivate.
” I brought in six tractors and three Harvesters to work on the farm and they paid me 35 per cent and the government has paid me 65 per cent already.
“The government never said they own the farm, if they have said that, why can’t they stop them from harvesting and taking the rice to the Governor’s house,” Ajibola said.