Sultan charges politicians on piety

The Sultan of Sokoto and the leader of Muslims in Nigeria, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has charged all the elected public office-holders to have fear of God when discharging their responsibilities.

Giving the charge at the fifth anniversary of the Federal Government’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) in Zauro, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, he urged the leaders to abide by their oath of office.

The royal father expressed satisfaction with the achievement of the President Muhammadu Buhari in the agriculture sector.

“If the leaders are doing what they are supposed to do to the masses, people will not suffer; they will enjoy the government. Agriculture is a great way of reducing poverty and unemployment in the society. We should support our people,” he added.

Earlier, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, thanked Buhari for making ABP a reality. He disclosed that there were over 200,000 metric tonnes of rice, which will be sold to about 19 rice millers across the country, adding that the event would also be marked in the other states with similar gestures.

Emefiele explained that Nigeria could be rice-sufficient, while urging other stakeholders to contribute their quota to sustain the agriculture policy.

Launched by Buhari on November 17, 2015, ABP intends to create a link between anchor companies involved in the processing and Small Holder Farmers (SHFs) of key agricultural commodities.

At harvest, the SHF supplies their produce to the agro-processor (anchor), who pays the cash equivalent to the farmer.