By Samuel Ruth, Makurdi
The Benue State Government has taken a significant step towards ensuring the sustainability of its climate resilience initiatives by establishing the Benue State Agro-Climatic and Watershed Management Agency,BASAWMA.
The agency was sanctioned by the State Executive Council,SEC,during its meeting held at government house Makurdi.
The new agency is designed to function alongside and eventually assume the responsibilities of the donor-supported Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes,ACReSAL,project.
This move will enable the state to permanently sustain the significant gains and core functions established under the ACReSAL program.
Engr. Victor Amah, the current State Coordinator of the ACReSAL project, has been appointed as the inaugural Director-General of BASAWMA.
The SEC has also adopted a White Paper on the implementation of government views regarding the Report of the 2024 Agricultural Input Verification Committee.
The aim of the white paper is to address the irregularities surrounding last year’s agricultural input supply, sales, and distribution, notably the widespread controversy involving substandard fertilizer.
An Implementation Committee has been constituted to oversee prompt payment to legitimate vendors and institute corrective measures against procedural irregularities.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Benjamin Ashaver, who addressed journalists after the meeting pledged to institute stringent quality control measures to prevent any recurrence of poor-quality supplies.
He emphasized that no single bag of dirty fertilizer will be accepted in government warehouses.
Ashaver also revealed that the state government is also engaging in a technical partnership with the Republic of Belarus, where approximately 40 Benue indigenes are undergoing intensive skill acquisition and technical training.
According to the Agric Commission ,the trainees have the opportunity to work in Belarus for up to ten years upon completing their certification.
Ashaver during the interaction clarified that funds donated for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are not lodged in government accounts and are not subject to state appropriation contrary to insinuation in some quarters.
