Agbekoya asks govt to tackle graft in agric sector

FARMERS in Ondo State, under the aegis of Agbekoya Farmers' Association (AFA), have called on anti-graft agencies to prosecute any government official found diverting funds meant for agricultural development 'to put an end to the mess in the agriculture sector of our national economy'.Leader of the group, Akinde Adeyemi, justified the call in Ode-Irele, Irele Local Council of Ondo State at the weekend, saying 'there is a big rot in agricultural financing in this country and some officials saddled with disbursement of allocated funds are culpable in this act.'That is why despite the billions that are being voted for agricultural development by the government, all the three-tiers of government have very little impact on our food production capacity and until this is rectified and fingered officials brought to book, Nigerians will continue to rely on foreign countries for our agro-needs'.Adeyemi also urged all stakeholders in the agricultural sector to constitute a body that would monitor budgetary allocations for the sector.'And I am sure by the time this is done, we would discover that there is a huge drain through which the agric votes are being diverted to the detriment of the nation', he statedAdeyemi, who claimed that the AFA was an offshoot of the famous Agbekoya group that fought against the authorities in the 60s to ensure the welfare of farmers particularly in the South-West, however, had kind words for the Ondo State government, which he said, 'had delivered on most of his promises in agricultural development'.
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