The many lies of Adesina
BY ADAMU BELLO
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored – Aldous Huxley
I have decided to put on record the authentic performance of the Agricultural sector of the Nigerian economy from the year 2000 to 2013. I say authentic in the sense that the source is the National Bureau of Statistics, which is statutorily responsible for national economic data jointly with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
I have decided to use 2000 as the base year as I took over as the Minister of Agriculture on the 8th of February 2001. I hold myself responsible for the performance of the sector from 2001 to 2007, noting however that my last full year in office was 2006.
I admit, with full appreciation and gratitude, to the guidance, direction, support and cooperation I received from President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, who I used to call Chief Minister of Agriculture because of his total involvement and the vanguard role he played in the various presidential initiatives that were undertaken. I also want to put on record the support I received from all the state Governors particularly Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, CON.
Worthy of mention at the Government level also was the support received from all the Deputy Governors of that period especially the role played by President Goodluck Jonathan as he was at that time the Subcommittee Chairman on Rice Production under the Presidential Initiative on Rice where he served creditably well. All the stakeholders, especially farmer groups and cooperatives, were most helpful.
The table below displays the performance of the Agricultural sector in terms of GDP growth:
Performance of the Agricultural Sector
| Year | Growth Rates of GDP for Agricultural Sector |
| 2000 | 2.95% |
| 2001 | 3.88% |
| 2002 | 4.25% |
| 2003 | 6.47% |
| 2004 | 6.50% |
| 2005 | 6.70% |
| 2006 | 7.40% |
| 2007 | 7.20% |
| 2008 | 6.30% |
| 2009 | 5.90% |
| 2010 | 5.60% |
| 2011 | 5.60% |
| 2012 | 3.97% (Target 8%) |
| 2013 | 4.50% (Target 8%) |
Source: National Bureau of Statistics / Central Bank of Nigeria – Annual Reports (http://www.cenbank.org/documents/annualreports.asp)
From the performance levels indicated, the growth rate of the Agricultural sector has been on the decline since President Olusegun Obasanjo left office. I have however noticed that the achievements being mentioned at various fora especially by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, have no basis except that they were stated by the Honourable Minister in charge of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (pictured). I have personally spoken with the SSA as to his source and he gentlemanly told me that he got all he said from the Minister. I reminded him that there are independent government agencies especially the National Bureau of Statistics that he should check with, and he promised to take up the issue with the Minister and revert back to me.
Fertilizer Claims
On the issue of fertilizer, it is only God the Almighty that will judge the unfair way past administrations are being portrayed. To claim that there was subsidy of N870 billion spent on fertilizers since the use of fertilizers was initially encouraged by the Government about 40 years ago is most unfair, as I doubt if the entire agricultural budgets for the whole period was up to that sum.
For a fact, from 1999-2007, the total subsidy on fertilizers was under N25 billion. This can be verified from the Budget Office of the Federal Ministry of Finance. However, according to Dr. Adesina the subsidy which was abused and corruptly taken was claimed to be N26 billion annually over a period of 40 years. He further claimed only N2.9 billion reached the farmers annually. Any discerning person can see clearly that under Obasanjo’s administration, we had only N3 billion on average per annum for fertilizer subsidy. How can N26 billion be corruptly taken annually when only N3 billion was allocated annually? And where did the figure of N870 billion subsidy on fertilizers come from when only about N25 billion was committed in eight years, which represent 20% of the 40 years mentioned? It is clear that there is no basis for the claim being made by Dr Adesina except for the purposes of getting unearned awards at the expense of those who served in previous administrations.
Middlemen in Fertilizer Distribution
The Minister of Agriculture proudly stated that he stopped corruption of 40 years in 90 days. This statement is misplaced, as over the purported period, he had not overseen the purchase of a single bag of fertilizer. This can only be accepted as a statement of intent and not an achievement. Dr. Adesina can only claim this as an achievement if there was successful supply of fertilizers to farmers during that period.
Under the Obasanjo administration, we NEVER HAD A SINGLE MIDDLEMAN. Fertilizers were sent directly to state governments that then arranged distribution to their own farmers.
It is a great pity that Dr. Adesina keeps on making claims instead of doing his job and allowing to be judged afterwards. I would not have had any problems with his false claims except that it tends to disparage those who served before him and their respective Presidents.
Facts on the Nigerian economy should be taken from the National Bureau of Statistics and the CBN, not plucked from space, massaged and deployed to malign others, pull wool over the eyes of members of government and the public, and gain unearned credits.
I hereby appeal to the Government to set up an inquiry into the spurious claims on the Agricultural sector by the Minister to stop the embarrassment of the country, particularly when his bogus statements on performance can be easily dismissed with highly reliable and readily available data from the National Bureau of Statistics.
*Bello was minister of agriculture (2001-2007).
The man made reference to the Nation Beareau of Statistics. All the data is there, why are we finding it hard to believe the former minister? But we all believed the current minister without even checking for facts! All this does is create a treatise between former and current for the general public to observe and make their judgements. Let the present minister react to this, then we’ll know we’re getting somewhere
It’s obvious the former minister has come with the old way of fooling Nigerians with paper works. We see and experiences full supply of cheap rice in Xmas period for the first time in a long time. Na GDP grammar we wan chop. Abi we no get eyes?
We are talking about a serious issue here and you are playing politics,the Man talking here is a former minister of agriculture so whoelse know better.
In don’t think this report is aim at destroying any one but rather its just a statement to put things right, and none should take it political. Their is need for us to have a true picture of systems and issues. Time to stop all media cosmetics government
Go to Idi Iroko in Ogun State and watch how rice is smuggled into the country. In day light right to the face of our corrupt custom officers. There, a bag is sold for N6000. That should explain why rice is so cheap. It is coming from foreign countries, no tax paid, local farmers are denied earnng opportunities
Only one question is Adamu Bello APC or PDP? Before i judge i need these facts.
Must you always align something with apolitical party? Hasn’t he stated his facts? We’re his figures generated by any political party Shior!
There are more importation of Agriculture products namely Maize, Soybean etc to Nigeria under the current Minister to deceive Nigerian that there are bomber harvest. More farmers are in pain because of this current administration than previous administration mentioned in this report. God help the poor farmers who cannot sell their grain this year because of heavy importation of maize into the country under this minister watch. There’s God ooo.
Jeremy, thank you for maturity. We need the current Minister to react. NBS is federal Government owned and records it keeps Federal Government makes use of them. This is neither APC or PDP but our collective psyche as Nigerians. Is our current Minister falsifying records and for whose benefit? If he responds we have a basis of judgment not otherwise. He should equally shy away from doing that.
Am sure you did not inquire from the bureau of statistics but you wan’t to cry wolfn,you have no reason whatsoever to query the former minister because he has been on that seat before and you, you are just impress with the minister’s grammar what you need to know is that grammer cannot tilt the ground to feed Nigerians and take not whoever talks too much also lie too much.
I don’t think that would matter much, please no need to politicize this as well: if he’s APC, it’s an attack by the opposition; if he’s PDP, then he’s a disgruntled party member who hasn’t been given what he wants…
So, there you go.
one party has made a good case,its time to hear the present minister’s defence.
This is the same way works minister allege that they have done more roads than previous administration yet our roads are still very bad Its a GEJ style and those working with him
As independent data are available as stated by Adamu Bello, it should do to ask Minister Adesina to reply to Adamu and justify his claims using official statistics.
Adamu Bello should realise that 100% of Nigerian farmers were working during his own time, during Adesina’s time 20% of them have been displaced due to the activities of Adamu’s brothers-in-arms. Is it not obvious the party he now belongs to. The price of rice in a festive season coupled with the crumbling price of crude oil has remain stable in the market, is that not a wonder in the market.
Has anyone ever thought of what agricultural output would have been in Nigeria without boko’s insurgence. Which government has ever fought a guerrilla warfare in Nigeria?
Common sense in action, nawaoo.
Who’s surprised at the revelation? It’s become a pattern for our Administrations to lie and deceive the people. Almost all their achievements are on words and word a only. The people have been scammed repeatedly. These have to stop. We must demand accountability from the top diwn. There I should NJ on credibility whatsoever in every government statement. Shame on them and Shame on us.
EFCC where are you in this country.Just imagine conflicting statements from two ministers of the FRN. Deceive Nigerians under oath of office. Mr president let the minister in office make his comment and then let the law enforcement step in. This will be good for democracy.
Statistics speaks. We are in the era of evidence – based. Any argument that is not backed up with evidence and statistics is false. It is left with the present minister to argue his way out with data. May be the NBS is an APC umbrella.
Adamu Bello’s claim that agriculture grew under him, based on NBS data, is not supported by other forms of data, for example food import data and rural poverty data. The fast food import grew the fastest under his watch and rural poverty also surged from 70% to 80% under him. As for NBS data, I know how it is collected and it is a scandal that we are still collecting days like that -only in the dry season. NBS agriculture data does not capture any of the highly successful dry season farming
In 2008, at the end of Bello’s tenure, Nigeria was importing N1.1trillion of food; today it is down to N684billion. Besides, if you look at the breakdown of 2004 NBS growth data for agriculture, namely: crops, livestock, forestry, Fisheries, and , they all increased at 6.5% each??? How can these very different sectors increase at the same rate? NBS data that Adamu Bello was bogus and the only to determine reality is to look at rate of fertilizer use in 2008 (13MT/Ha) and 2014 (60MT/Ha); number of integrated rice mills in 2008 (two) and today (19); the number of functional cassava flour mills in 2008 (zero) and today (35 small and four medium sized), the number of cotton ginneries working in 2008 (zero) and today (15). Adamu Bello is dancing naked and he does not realize there is hard fact – other than bogus NBS data that is tampered with, that shows off his statements as irresponsible,
The former Minister of Agriculture is quite correct , the data are in public domain obtainable from the NBS as the former minister claimed. Adesina , the current minister with all the hype and reputation surrounding him merely play to the gallery . This type of naked falsehood is not ideal for an occupant of such position. I hereby call on Mr President to sack this Minister before further damages are done to the reputation of this regime
the former minister has given u facts and figures and where anyone else can access them yet you are looking to see which political affiliate he is. What has that got to do with the fact on ground?Surely you have more sense than that of Mr. Okupe!
having gone through the 2 write ups the one by the former minister and the adviser to the current one I see one directing us to check from the documents of the Government and the other only telling us of the achievement of the present Minister. Are we not supposed to be directed to check through the records as well and judge? As 2015 been set as the time that such a magnificent numbers of farmers would be produced are we not by now be seeing the dividends of the amount the banks have doled out to these ” supposed farmers” it is not only showcasing them on television but reality of the outcome of their work in the marketplace.