President Muhammadu Buhari has sympathised with the people of Kebbi State on the flood disasters that have destroyed farmlands, homes and led to the loss of crops and property.
In a statement signed on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the president said he was touched by the sheer scale of the losses suffered by the hard-working farmers in the state.
Apart from creating job opportunities and decent incomes for them, President Buhari noted that agriculture plays a key role in the economy of any country.
He lamented that the incident is coming at a time when the government is making efforts to boost its local production of rice, with Kebbi playing a key role.
President Buhari said, “This sad news couldn’t have come at a worse time for this administration because of the role of Kebbi State farmers in supporting the government’s initiative to promote local rice production as part of efforts to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on importation of the commodity.
“This flood disaster represents a setback for the efforts to boost local rice production in the country, for which Kebbi State is playing a leading role.
“When our farmers are hit by these kinds of large-scale losses on account of natural disasters, the government should be genuinely concerned, especially as this unfortunate event occurred at a critical time when my administration is pursuing a policy to restore the primacy of agriculture in our national life,” the President added.
He, however, urged the affected farmers not to despair, assuring them that they will not be forgotten by the government.
Furthermore, he commended the state government led by Senator Abubakar Bagudu for the swift measures put in place to alleviate the hardship of the victims and equally directed emergency federal aid in support.
