No order to shut KASCO plant from FG, says MD

Managing director Kano Agricultural Supply Company (KASCO), Bala Inuwa on Monday disclosed that suspension of production of Fertilizer was due to unavailability some major materials such as Urea nitrate.

He explained that the company supplying Urea nitrate, a chemical that contain 36 per cent component of NKP, ran out of supply due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Besides, the managing director insisted that KASCO was at no point directive to shut down its plant by the Federal Government.

Bala was invariably reacting to directive attributed to Presidential Fertilizer Initiative and National Sovereign Investment Agency (NISIA) which directed KASCO to shut its plant for allegedly adulterating NKP 20:10:10.

According to media reports quoting the Federal government agency under the tutelage of one Uche Orji, accused KASCO of compromising the system through manual mixing of the components of the NKP to blend the input.

In response, the KASCO MD who denied the allegations declared that the agric input company is recognized through credible sources of production, having enjoyed unquantifiable patronage from agro alliance corporate entities and individual bodies.

Bala wondered how could a company who had sold N4b naira worth fertilizer in 2019 alone would suddenly be accused of adulterating NKP.

KASCO boss who narrated how the ugly trend occurred, accused one Umar, a staff of Continental Logistics attached to the company, of circulating a fake video clip on social media claiming wrong mixing of NKP in the plant.

” What actually drew the attention of Federal government agency on the allegation of adulterating fertilizer, a video clip that went viral on social media where one Umar, a staff of Continental Logistics, claiming we are manually mixing blend of NKP.

” What that video was trying to portray was fraud, misconception and untrue because we have never try to cheat or betray the confidence bestowed by our esteem costumers or reduce the quality of production in the system.

” The Umar tried to blackmail us because he demanded money hand we refused to give him. He claimed that his company has stopped paying them salary due to COVID-19 and he wanted us to pay him a fix amount and we say no. It was as a result of failure to reach a resolution that led to that fake video clip to tarnish the image of KASCO”.

Bala reassured that as soon as the KASCO receive supply of Urea nitrate, production will continue.