APC Chieftain Gotomo Empowers 450 Kebbi Farmers With 900 Bags Of Fertilizer

APC Chieftain Gotomo Empowers 450 Kebbi Farmers With 900 Bags Of Fertilizer

BIRNIN KEBBI -  The Secretary of the Kebbi State 2023 APC Campaign Council for the election of Governor Nasir Idris and the Presidential Campaign Council for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Directorates of Grassroots Engagement, Alhaji Abubakar Usman Gotomo, has distributed 900 bags of fertilizer to 450 farmers drawn from the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.

The distribution, held in Birnin Kebbi his residence on Tuesday, was facilitated through an allocation secured from the Office of Vice President Kashim Shettima.
  
Speaking at the event, Gotomo said the gesture was in line with the advocacy of Governor Nasir Idris that wealthy individuals should give back to society, especially to grassroots communities.  “It is based on the Governor Nasir Idris advocacy that whoever is wealthy should give back to society, particularly the grassroots people. Based on that instruction, I went to Abuja and got an allocation of free fertilizer from Vice President Kashim Shettima and I decided to come back home and share it with our people at the grassroots,” Gotomo said.  


“So, I decided to bring people from all the 21 LGAs of the state to also benefit from what I benefited from the Vice President,” he added.  

He explained the scope of the intervention. “450 beneficiaries are to benefit from this empowerment of fertilizer that I have donated. The farmers were drawn from the 21 LGAs. Each beneficiary will go home with two bags, making a total of 900 bags of fertilizer being distributed to our farmers,” he said.  

Chairman of Argungu Local Government Council, Alhaji Aliyu Sani Gulma, commended Gotomo for the gesture and urged beneficiaries to use the input for farming and not for sale.  
“This is not the first time he is doing this kind of gesture. We have nothing to offer Usman Abubakar Gotomo except to pray for him and for God’s blessings,” Gulma said.  


“I caution beneficiaries not to sell or divert it to another use but to use it for the purpose it was meant for. Because His Excellency has also warned against diversion or sale of fertilizer, especially when it is donated free to farmers,” he added.  


In his remarks, the Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Musa Muhammad Tungulawa, echoed the warning and stressed the importance of the inputs to food production.  


“Whoever is in the habit of selling fertilizer donated to them as empowerment to boost food production is not helping himself, the society, or the nation in general,” Tungulawa said.  


“I emphasize that none of the beneficiaries should sell or divert the fertilizer donated to them as empowerment to boost their farming effort,” he said.  
The Commissioner also noted the state government’s commitment to farmers. “Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris, Kauran Gwandu, is the first Nigerian governor to distribute free fertilizer to farmers across the 21 LGAs. Farmers are expected to utilize this opportunity of getting free fertilizer donated by APC Secretary, Kebbi State 2023 Campaign Council, Alhaji Usman Abubakar Gotomo,” he stated.  


APC stakeholder and younger brother to the governor, Alhaji Umar Idris Buro, described Gotomo as a consistent philanthropist and praised him for attracting federal support to the state.  


“I am not surprised if Usman Abubakar Gotomo can go to Abuja and get an allocation of fertilizer and bring it back home and distribute it to our farmers,” Buro said.  
“We appreciate him. If we can get more of such people in the state who can go outside the state and bring things that they can come back home and share with their people, we will be happy. We are happy with this gesture done by Usman Abubakar Gotomo,” he added.  


Buro prayed for the safe return of the beneficiaries to their communities and called on other well-meaning individuals to emulate the gesture,” he said.


“I pray for the beneficiaries to have a safe journey back to their respective destinations.