Kunle Ogunsakin
The position of Adamu Bello, a former Agriculture Minister, that the incumbent minister, Dr. Adewumi Adesina, has not performed well fails to stand the test of logic. Apart from the fact that Bello, because of his past, does not occupy a high moral ground, progress in the sector is visible for all to see. Now here are the facts
As Nigeria prepares for the 14 February, 2015 elections, political campaign from all sides of the divide is reaching a feverish point. Political gladiators are using everything they have to campaign. Nothing is too sacrosanct; no issue is too sacred, even if it bothers on national security and survival, to be used as a political tool. It was in this light that Nigerians woke up early December 2014 to the criticism by former Minister of Agriculture, Adamu Bello, of the incumbent occupier of the office, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, debunking the claims of progress the agriculture sector has recorded in the last three years, and describing such claims as “uncharitable and misplaced”.
He said claims by Adesina that the agriculture sector under his watch had experienced significant growth were unjustified and could not be verified from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The former minister said the performance of the sector in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth has instead been on a steady decline since former President Olusegun Obasanjo left office in 2007. Relying on data from the NBS, Bello said the last time a growth rate was recorded in the sector was in 2007 with a growth rate of 7.20 per cent. Between 2008 and 2011, the growth rate was 6.30 per cent, 5.90, 5.60 and 5.60. In 2012 and 2013, even though a target of 8 per cent was set, the growth rate was 3.97 and 4.50 per cent growth.
Bello said further: “From the performance levels indicated, the growth rate of the agricultural sector has been on the decline since President Olusegun Obasanjo left office. I have, however, noticed that the achievements being mentioned at various fora, especially by the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, have no basis except that they were stated by the Minister in charge of Agriculture, Dr.Akinwumi Adesina. I have personally spoken with the SSA as to his source and he gentlemanly told me that he got all he said from the minister. I reminded him that there are independent government agencies, especially the National Bureau of Statistics, that he should check with, and he promised to take up the issue with the minister and revert back to me”.
Bello also disputed claims by Adesina on fertiliser subsidy, saying statements credited to the minister that N870 billion had been spent on fertiliser subsidy was not true. “It is only God the Almighty that will judge the unfair way past administrations are being portrayed. To claim that there was subsidy of N870 billion spent on fertilisers since the use of fertilisers was initially encouraged by the government about 40 years ago is most unfair, as I doubt if the entire agricultural budgets for the whole period was up to that sum”, he said.
Claiming that the amount was far lower than what Adesina claimed, the ex-minister, explained that the subsidy from 1999-2007 was under N25 billion. “For a fact, from 1999-2007, the total subsidy on fertilisers was under N25 billion. This can be verified from the Budget Office of the Federal Ministry of Finance. However, according to Dr. Adesina, the subsidy, which was abused and corruptly taken was claimed to be N26 billion annually over a period of 40 years”, he noted.
Bello, a banker was appointed Minister of Agriculture in 2001 by the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo. He occupied the office from that moment till the end of Obasanjo’s second term, a period of seven years. He was seen as one of the “untouchable” ministers under the Obasanjo administration. He was one of the very few that was not changed during the former president’s eight-year tenure.
Bello has always been a lucky child since his birth on 20 May 1951. He was born in Numan, Adamawa State, to Justice Mohammed Bello. He had a comfortable childhood. Bello holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1975). He also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree from University of Pittsburgh (1982) where he was invited to the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Fraternity. He also proceeded to the famous Harvard Business School to earn a Certificate in the Advanced Management Program (AMP) in 1990. He rose through the ranks in the banking sector to become the Chairman of Habib Nigeria Bank Ltd in 1999. It was from this position that he received his nomination as the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in January 2001.
The former Agriculture Minister, therefore can be considered as a round peg in a square hole as he had no proficiency whatsoever in agricultural matters. His appointment therefore can be seen as purely political.