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Unused ₦50 Billion Tractors: Bureaucratic Inertia Or Wastage Of Resources?

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Nearly four months after President Bola Tinubu launched ₦50 billion worth of tractors and farm machinery to boost food production, the equipment remains idle at the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) headquarters, exposing yet another case of stalled agricultural reform and bureaucratic inertia.

The President had unveiled 2,000 tractors, 2,000 disc ploughs and harrows, 1,000 ridgers, 1,200 trailers, 500 seed drills, and other implements under his Renewed Hope agricultural initiative, promising nationwide deployment to empower farmers and create jobs for youths.

“We are taking a monumental leap forward with the introduction of state-of-the-art agricultural equipment… This is a bold step towards achieving complete agricultural independence,” Tinubu had said during the launch attended by Belarusian officials.

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However, months later, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security says it is still awaiting Presidential directives on distribution, delaying deployment ahead of the farming season. Ministry insiders told The Guardian that operations have slowed and that only the Presidency dictates the pace.

Agriculture Minister Abubakar Kyari had earlier outlined three deployment models — direct sales, leasing, and tractor service centres — aimed at giving farmers affordable access and boosting productivity. But the plan has stalled, leaving farmers burdened by high labour and input costs.

Vice President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Daniel Okafor, confirmed that farmers are still waiting for updates.

“We were very happy at the launch, but we are still waiting and monitoring the sharing formula,” he said.

Professor Simon Tuange of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University warned that if the tractors are not deployed soon, they may miss the current farming season.
“Agriculture without mechanisation is like a vehicle without wheels,” he said, urging the government to establish maintenance workshops alongside deployment to prevent waste.

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RATTAWU Kano Mourns Veteran Broadcaster Adamu Ibrahim Getso, Condoles Family

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The Kano State Council of the Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU) has expressed deep sorrow over the death of veteran broadcaster and former Director-General of Abubakar Rimi Television (ARTV), Alhaji Adamu Ibrahim Getso.
The Chairman of RATTAWU Kano State Council, Comrade Babangida Mahmouda Biyamusu, on behalf of the State Executive Council and members of the union, led a high-powered delegation on a condolence visit to the family of the late media icon.
In a condolence message signed by the union’s Public Relations Officer, Mustapha Idris Yola, and made available to Pressmen, Comrade Biyamusu described the passing of Alhaji Adamu Ibrahim Getso as a monumental loss not only to the media industry but also to Kano State and the nation at large.
He noted that the late broadcaster devoted more than three decades of his life to public service, information dissemination, mentorship, and the promotion of professional journalism and broadcasting.
According to him, the legacy of professionalism, integrity, dedication, and excellence left behind by the deceased will continue to inspire present and future generations of journalists and broadcasters.
“On behalf of RATTAWU Kano State Council, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the immediate family of the late Alhaji Adamu Ibrahim Getso, the Kano State Government, the management and staff of ARTV and Radio Kano, his friends, associates, and the entire people of Kano State over this irreparable loss,” Biyamusu stated.
He added that RATTAWU would continue to cherish and remember the immense contributions of the late media veteran to the growth and development of the broadcasting industry in Kano State and Nigeria as a whole.
The union prayed to Almighty Allah (SWT) to forgive the shortcomings of the deceased, grant him Aljannatul Firdaus, and give his family, friends, and loved ones the strength and fortitude to bear the loss.

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Senate Leader Proposes Single Six-Year Term for President, Governors After 2027

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has announced plans to sponsor a bill introducing a single six-year tenure for Nigeria’s president and state governors, to take effect after the 2027 general elections.

Speaking with reporters in his office on Tuesday, Bamidele said the proposed legislation would be among the first he presents when the next Senate is inaugurated. He argued that a single, longer term would allow elected leaders to focus entirely on governance, rather than on re-election campaigns.

“One of the first set of bills that I look forward to moving, by God’s grace, when we come back for the 11th Senate, is a bill that will make it possible for anyone who wants to be president of this country, or governor in any part of this country, to spend only one term of six years,” Bamidele said.

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He criticized the current two-term arrangement, noting that it forces officeholders to spend a significant portion of their first term on political calculations and preparations for re-election.

“So that you don’t even have to worry about wasting almost one and a half years of your first term thinking and struggling and looking forward to how you’ll be re-elected,” he explained. “If you know you are there for six years, only one tenure, you put in your best from day one. You know this is the only chance that you have.”

Acknowledging that the proposal may not attract universal support, Bamidele maintained that lawmakers have a duty to pursue reforms they believe will strengthen governance.

“That’s my opinion. It doesn’t mean everybody will agree with me. But it also does not mean that I am prevented from doing that because that has not been the law,” he said. “The essence of law, the essence of parliament, is that laws are like human beings; they grow.”

If formally introduced and passed by the National Assembly, the proposal would require constitutional amendments before it can take effect.

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JUST IN: House of Reps Summon Service Chiefs, Ribadu over Rising Insecurity

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The house of representatives has summoned the service chiefs and Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA), to appear before the parliament over the rising incidents of insecurity across the country.

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The green chamber passed the resolution during Tuesday’s plenary following the adoption of a motion sponsored by Sulaiman Gumi, lawmaker representing Gummi/Bukkuyum federal constituency in Zamfara state.

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