AUDU Zamuawosayi, the Village Head of Kugbaru, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, says President Muhammadu Buhari deserves an award for improving the country’s agricultural production.

Zamuawosayi said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said that Buhari deserved an award for using agriculture as a tool for the nation’s economic development.

“President Buhari should be given an award for encouraging Nigerians to go back to the farm, where the strength of the nation lies.

“Before now, we use to depend totally on crude oil as the source of income for the nation but since President Buhari came on board, he has been able to achieve a lot in efforts to diversify the nation’s economy through agriculture.

“If I am given the opportunity, I wound present an award to President Buhari as the `Best Agriculture-friendly President’ our country ever had because he has really galvanised the citizens into going into farming.

“Everybody is now farming because of the returns which farming brings, in terms of income for individuals and the nation.

“Today, even big men and senators are now going into farming; go to our villages and see how our big men have suddenly taken to farming; that is the new trend under Buhari.

“Farmers are now richer than the civil servants; this is as a result of the renewed interest in agriculture, which has provided new markets for farmers with several off-takers scattered around the villages.

“Even the civil servants who are combining their work with farming are the ones who are making it.

“In support of the President’s efforts toward agriculture, I give our youths parcels of land to cultivate any crop of their choice in Kugbaru village. Through the venture, they will be able to sustain themselves and stay away from social vices.

“Those criticising President Buhari should go to the villages and see how happy and rich the farmers are under his administration,’’ he said.

NAN recalls that the Federal Government allocated N118.98 billion to agriculture in the proposed 2018 budget to tackle food security and engender economic diversification, as against the N92 billion which was allocated to the sector in the 2017 Budget. (NAN)

– Apr. 4, 2018 @ 13:35 GMT

AE