A DRAMATIC dimension was added yesterday to the Senate investigation into the circumstances surrounding the current food crisis in the country when it emerged that two senators and some traditional rulers were among influential persons who benefited from the distribution of the 2008 Federal Government's strategic grains reserve.

A document entitled: "2008 Grain Release Beneficiaries" submitted to the Senate ad-hoc committee by officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources showed Senators Adamu Garba Talba (Yobe) and Ibrahim Ida (Katsina) as being among the beneficiaries, each of whom got 120 metric tonnes of grains.

The list also included five traditional rulers from the North, including the Etsu Nupe, who got 120 tonnes and the Emir of Biu in Borno State who received 60 tonnes.

Other royal fathers in the list are three namely; the Emirs of Lafia in Nasarawa State, who got 120 metric tonnes, Daura and Katsina in Katsina State, both of whom got 120 metric tonnes each.

Other beneficiaries include the Association of Poultry Owners, and millers.

The document also showed the State-by-State distribution of the grains. In the north, 20 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), got 36,000 metric tonnes[color=#990000][/color]. The 17 southern states got 10,200 metric tonnes out of the 65 metric tonnes distributed.

However, the Director of the Department of Strategic Reserves in the Ministry, Mr. Lawal Mohammed Ila, explained to the committee that some of the beneficiaries applied for the grains and collected on behalf of their subjects and constituents.

The committee frowned at the distribution formulae adopted by the ministry, saying it was a disservice to the ordinary people for whom the grains were meant.

The committee's chairman, Senator Idris Umar, expressed its anger in these words: "Mr. Minister, I want you to honestly tell us that the grains distribution list contains the name of any ordinary Nigerian. I can tell you that from the investigations we have made and from our records, there is no ordinary Nigerian who benefited from that distribution. If we are serious, let us be serious because the list does not show the beneficiaries were the end users. We should not be sitting here in Abuja and applying for grains when the people who actually need them cannot access them."

The committee also expressed dismay at the N10.5 billion extra-budgetary expenditure on the procurement of grains this year.

The panel's chairman expressed shock that despite the rule of law matra of the Yar'Adua administration, funds were still being spent by the executive arm of government without due regards for the provisions of the constitution.

The Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr. Ademola Rasak Seriki, had in response to questions told the committee that the N10.5 billion represented the total amount collected as levies on rice importation after obtaining an approval from President Yar'Adua to that effect.

He disclosed also that the ministry had spent the money to procure grains.

The panel also frowned at the non-compliance with the Public Procurement Act and other due processes in the purchase of grains.

The panel's anger resulted from Seriki's submission that instead of the ministry advertising for persons to apply to be selected for the procurement, its usual practice is to simply ask any member of the public to supply the grains.

Seriki also said that the practice equally applied to the distribution of the grains, pointing out that if advertisements were carried, seeking applications for selection for the distribution, prices of grains in the market would be inflated by marketers.

The panel also asked the minister to submit written explanations on why there were no procurements of grains between 1999 and last year.

It was also disclosed to the committee that the country required not less than 2.5 million metric tonnes to meet its grain reserve requirements as against the current 300,000 metric tonnes.

Meanwhile, the committee has summoned the three companies mandated by the ministry to procure fertiliser for the 2008 farming season to appear before it on Monday.

Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Abba Sayyad Ruma, had informed the panel on Wednesday that of the 13 companies selected to procure fertiliser in the 2008 season, only three were eventually given the job.

http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/news/article02//indexn2_html?pdate=180708&ptitle=Senators,%20monarchs,%20others%20named%20at%20grains%20distribution%20probe

Only God knoww what will stop this menace in Nigeria

Only God knows

Una still dey wait for God?

Shameless set of people.

nuzo do you suggest we take up arms?

@nuzo

it is not your fault / would u prefer that we begin a violence revolution or maybe it is the fact that you so far in some far east country and it causing your brain to freeze

For those that believe we shouldn't called on God's mercy violence is not the solution