Developers Have Taken Our Farmlands -AMAC Chair

By: Wisdom Acka

The Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Maikalangu, has lamented that farmlands in the Council have been taken over by developers.

Maikalangu made this lamentation over the weekend in Apo Town Hall, while flagging off the distribution of fertilizers and other farm inputs to assist farmers in the Council as part of efforts to improve yields for this year’s farming season.

He said: “Due to the urban renewal policy programme of the FCT, most of our farm lands have been taken over by developers. Our farmers can no longer access farm lands for their subsistence farming and other agricultural purposes”.

“This has greatly affected the growth of agriculture in the Council, which is one of the viable economic empowerment of our people,” the Chairman added.

“In the light of the above, I am humbly making a passionate appeal to the FCTA to expedite action on the integrated demonstration farm land in the Council. This will help boost agricultural production in AMAC”, he said.

Maikalangu stated that distribution of the items was a demonstration of his Administration’s commitment to the promotion of social and economic growth of the beneficiaries and the Council.

He pledged: “Our Administration places greater premium on agriculture, the oldest profession in the World. We shall give more commitment to it just as we aspire to provide social amenities and rural infrastructure to our rural communities.”

“This year’s farming season, we are providing 600 bags of fertilizers, agro chemicals, 20 wheel barrows, nap sack sprayers, smoking kiln, hoes, cutlasses, rain boots and hand gloves to be distributed free to farmers in Abuja Municipal Area Council”, Maikalangu revealed.

The AMAC boss also presented two Bajaj motorcycle for agriculture extension workers to enable them monitor further distribution to farmers in the villages.

He, however, warned that fertilizers and other farm implements being provided must not be diverted because they are meant to improve crop yield and increase income for our people.

Supervisory Councillor for Agriculture, Saleh Zakari Biu, on his part, promised that the inputs would be closely monitored by traditional rulers and security agencies to prevent the items from being diverted or sold by farmers.