Bello Zabarmawa, a young farmer, has refuted claims made by Governor Dapo Abiodun, asserting that he, not the Ogun State government, is the rightful owner of a 200-hectare rice plantation.
This comes after Governor Abiodun’s administration, with support from the World Bank, claimed credit for the project.
Last month, Governor Abiodun and his entourage, including photographers and videographers, visited the rice farm in Magboro, Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area.
The governor was photographed holding harvested rice, while his media team touted Ogun State’s entry into local rice production, raising hopes among residents for affordable rice.
However, Mr. Zabarmawa, who serves as a special adviser to the Kebbi State Governor, dismissed these claims in an interview with PM News, stating that the farm is his initiative.
Mr. Zabarmawa became interested in the fertile land in Magboro after his associate, Haruna, visited the area in 2019. He subsequently provided interest-free loans to about 200 farmers, each cultivating one hectare of rice.
Since the land had not been previously farmed, he invested in bulldozers and other equipment to prepare it for planting.
The project, which was well received by the local community and its monarch, prompted Mr. Zabarmawa to seek government assistance. He paid N6 million to lease 220 hectares of land, registering the project under “Young Service Grow” with the brand “Alubarika Farms.”
According to PM News, Mr. Zabarmawa acknowledged that the Ogun State government did provide some support, covering 50 percent of the cost for clearing the land and supplying fertilizers.
“When I started, the Ogun State Government promised and paid 50 percent of the clearing cost, while I covered the balance,” Mr. Zabarmawa told PM News.
“At that time, a bag of fertilizer cost N45,000, of which I paid N23,000 and the government covered the remaining N22,000.”
He further revealed that Governor Abiodun personally visited the farm to inaugurate the rice harvest, but the support he expected from the state has since fallen short.
“The governor himself came to flag off the harvest. I was very happy that day,” he said. “But I still need government support.”
The farmer lamented the high operational costs of maintaining the plantation, disclosing that he spends a minimum of N400,000 daily on labor.
“I’ve cleared 1,000 hectares and I’m calling for government assistance. I’ve brought in three bulldozers, which cost me N600,000 to transport, and I pay N400,000 in labor costs daily.”
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Mr. Zabarmawa also mentioned that he provided loans totaling between N4 million and N6 million to approximately 60 farmers, urging the government to support the project to help engage unemployed youth.
He emphasized that many of those he empowered have become financially successful.
An additional source confirmed that Mr. Zabarmawa covered most of the costs for the farm, with the Ogun State government only paying 35 percent of the energy bill for solar panels.
Yusuf Sulaiman, Secretary of Alubarika rice farmers, corroborated that Mr. Zabarmawa had been funding the entire operation.
One beneficiary, Abu Garba, a former bureau de change operator turned farmer, shared that he received a N5 million loan from Mr. Zabarmawa to start rice farming, enabling him to harvest 500 bags of rice.
Governor Abiodun’s earlier statement, made while inaugurating the rice harvest, implied that the farm was a government-led project with World Bank backing.
“We have 12,500 hectares of land here, of which we have farmed 200 hectares that yielded N1 billion for 200 farmers. We will scale this project to 2,000 hectares and generate N30 billion in revenue,” he said. However, the governor did not mention Mr. Zabarmawa’s role or the shared costs of fertilizer and land clearing.
Attempts to reach the governor’s aide, Abiodun Talabi, for clarification or response to Mr. Zabarmawa’s claims were unsuccessful.
(Peoplesgazette)
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