President Muhammadu Buhari has approved N24 billion for the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for the execution of a smart modular irrigation project.
The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NASENI, Professor Mohammed Sani Haruna, disclosed this to State House Correspondents after a meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday.
Haruna, who said he was at the Villa to show the financial details of the agency’s operation to the President, explained that the modular irrigation project would enhance agricultural development in the country, enabling farmers to produce crops three times round the year.
Explaining why he was at the Villa, Haruna said the President, who is the Executive Chairman of the agency, needs to be updated on the way the place is being run, adding that his request to know the state of the accounts was not because there had been any suspicious activity
“It’s not for any suspicion, but we have been asking for funding and more funding, then you want to know the status of what is happening so far. For example, I have said to you, the 1% of the Federation Account due to NASENI, we receive only the federal government component of it, instead of 1% before it’s shared to the states and others that benefit from this
“Last week, the President approved N24 billion for a smart irrigation system, on request by NASENI. So, it is his thought if our money is remitted, why ask for further funding? Just to clarify the situation, not because of any other things, to know the status. And, of course, to give him exactly, as the Chairman of the Board NASENI, he should know to the last Kobo, what do we have, what don’t we have, to guide his decisions on matters”, he said.
