Kabwe District Commissioner (DC) Patrick Chishala (right) with Kabwe
District Cooperative Union Chairperson Gabriel Ngosa (left) during the
flagging off the Fertiliser distribution exercise in kabwe
Agriculture and Cooperatives Deputy Minister Maxus Ng’onga has warned players in the fertilizer distribution process at district level to desist from politicizing the Farmer Input Support Programme( FISP) .
Mr Ng’ona has also warned that action would be taken against those who will be found wanting.
Mr. Ng’onga sounded the warning after he received a briefing on the FISP exercise from Mpika district Commissioner, Catherine Chileshe when he paid a courtesy call on her yesterday.
The District Commissioner appealed to the Minister to dissolve the Mpika District Cooperative Union executive which she alleged had politicized the fertilizer distribution exercise during the 2014/2015 farming season.
Ms. Chileshe explained that the MDCU and some subordinate staff from the Department of Agriculture were using politics to discriminate farmers from getting the inputs adding that the situation had resulted in the district recording a low crop yield.
The District Commissioner said if the executive will not be dissolved, they risk being surrendered to the law enforcers.
And responding to the request, Mr Ng’ona who is on tour of duty in the province instructed the Provincial Agricultural Coordinator Victor Mulopa to take action and ensure that the 2015/2016 inputs go to the right beneficiaries.
Mr. Ng’onga said he was in Muchinga Province to investigate audit reports of misappropriation of the 2014-2015 farming inputs and understand why some farmers who deposited money did not get the inputs as well as what made the delay in the distribution of the farming inputs.
He said government wants to ensure that this year’s farming inputs are distributed by September.
The Deputy Minister explained that the Ministry flagged off the fertilizer distribution of D. Compound two weeks ago and some districts had started receiving the consignments.
He called on marketing officers in the department of Agriculture to ensure that all the necessary documentation is done and secured now adding that he will not condone the situation of pilling up the inputs in the sheds saying the trend contributes to corruption and malpractices.
Mr Ng’ona also warned all the District Agricultural Coordinators (DACOs) and Marketing Officers to stay away from manipulating the FISP and ensure that no politics are involved in the distribution of the farming inputs this year.
He called on officers in his department not to involve themselves in politics saying those who want to become politicians should resign immediately before the distribution of farming inputs starts at the district level.
He expressed displeasure that his Ministry received disturbing reports on how the 2014/2015 inputs were inclined into political campaigns when the programme had its own guidelines adding that President Lungu has issued strong warning against those tampering with food security.
Mr Ng’ona added that when the farmers complained, the entire government was affected as it hinges on people’s livelihood.
