Kano farmers cry foul over loss of farmland

Small-scale farmers in Kano State have called on the state government to intervene over alleged of reallocation of their farmlands to government officials and businessmen by the state Ministry of Agricultural Resources.

Some of the affected farmers told The Guardian in Kano yesterday that the action had rendered them jobless, as they called on the state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, for intervention. 

Investigation revealed that hundreds of farmers lost their farmland to the ministry, which has allegedly allocated the land individuals and businessmen without provision for alternatives. 

One of the affected farmers, Surajo Adamu, of Garun-Mallam Local Government Area, complained that the rainfall had started and it was time to resume the wet season farming, but there was no farmland as the ministry had reallocated the farmlands. 

According to him, some of the affected places were at Bunkure, Bebeji and Garun-Malam Local Government Areas. 

Another affected farmer, Hussain Shuaibu, said he and other farmers had no other farmland as their plots had been allocated to government officials. 

“This time around, we the farmers are hopeless because the farmlands we rely on for survival have been allocated to government officials,” he lamented. 

All efforts to confirm the allegations from the officials at the ministry proved abortive, as those contacted, including directors and the permanent secretary, refused to speak to newsmen.

However, the Commissioner for Agriculture, who is also the deputy governor, has since resigned and joined the Kano gubernatorial race.