Buhari’s campaign fund swells with over N1.77b

The reelection campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday night received a major boost.

It got over N1.77 billion donations from the agricultural sector.

Farmers and other Nigerians in the agricultural value chain showered the donations on the President during the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme Gala Night at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday night.

According to them, the President has changed the fortunes of the agriculture sector and by bringing unprecedented change to the sector.

Apart from the increasing progress in the sector, they also claimed that the President’s policies have resulted in savings of billions of naira.

Topmost of the donations to the President’s campaign fund is N1.2 billion announced by the President of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Aminu Goroyo and N570 million announced by the Fertilizers Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN).

Stressing that the introduction of the Anchor Borrowers programme has turned around the fortunes of the 12.2 million registered members of the association, Goroyo said that each of the members have contributed N100 each for the President’s campaign towards the 2019 Presidential elections.

According to him, more fertilizers were made available and easy to rice farmers in the country in the last three years.

“All these achievements are from your commitments and favourable policies to agriculture.” he said

President of Fertilizers Producers and Supplies Association of Nigeria, Thomas Etuh, disclosed that N120 billion was saved in two years from fertilizer subsidy.

President Buhari thanked them for the gesture.

According to him, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports have confirmed that his administration’s policies are yielding results.

He noted that his administration inherited a broken system in the agricultural sector in 2015.

He said “Seeing your faces and hearing your stories give me hope…..Today, we are on track to achieving inclusive economy.”

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefuele said that the Anchor Borrowers programme launched on the 17th of November, 2015 has resulted in the savings of $800 million.

Noting that the import bills before the introduction of the programme were as high as N1.4 trillion annually, he said that the anchor borrowers programme has been creating jobs and wealth for the teeming population.

He said that 2.5 million jobs from rice farming have been created.

According to him, the anchor borrowers programme is the most successful anchor programme in Africa.

“It has raised the standard of our farmers,” he stated

The Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh declared “It has moved Nigeria up the ladder of Rice producers in Africa.”

On his part, Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, who is the Vice Chairman of the national food security council, noted that the President has shown unprecedented commitments to agriculture development in Nigeria.

He thanked the President for setting up the national food security council

According to him, Nigeria is on the path of taking on the world.

Dignitaries at the gala night included the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, Jigawa State Governor, Badaru Abubakar.

Also at the occasion were the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, among other top government officials.