EXCLUSIVE: Jigawa Govt Officials, Council Chairmen Diverted FADAMA Inputs Meant For Peasant Farmers, Submitted Fake Beneficiary Names –Audit Report

SaharaReporters has obtained a document stating that local government chairmen in Jigawa State submitted fake names of farmers to FADAMA officials in order to fraudulently obtain farm inputs.

The allegation is contained in a report from the audit committee set up to investigate the activities of FADAMA in the state.

According to statements by the FADAMA CARES coordinator in Jigawa State, Aminu Isah, seen by SaharaReporters, it was stated that "all the 27 Local Government Council Chairmen in Jigawa State requested FADAMA to give beneficiary slots during the organisation's sensitization and mobilization visit while forming the groups."

The local government chairmen were quoted as assuring that they would bring real farmers. They were also said to have pleaded that the inputs would help them during the election.

"The LG Council Chairmen told us that the slots will help them during election," the statement seen by SaharaReporters read.

"We gave them the slots in good faith. Unfortunately, we later found that almost all the beneficiaries submitted by the Local Government Council Chairmen sold the inputs given to them, which led to the serious complaints by real farmers, and some of them had connived with the service providers/suppliers and collected money instead of service delivery."

The document also noted that "some members of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Honourable Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, and Heads of some Jigawa State Government Agencies also benefitted from the program; and also added to the problems we had in the implementation of the program."

"I will like to categorically state that for every work that has been executed during the implementation, I have officially write[n] and inform[ed] the Honorable Commissioner of Agric (Auwalu Danladi Sankara) for his endorsement and approval for us to implement accordingly as it is in the approved budget and work plan by the Honorable Commissioner Finance who is the State CARES Steering Committee Chairman (SCSC). Some of this approvals (sic) especially for the capital projects and others are attached for your information and perusal," the statement by Aminu Isah to the audit committee that looked into FADAMA read.

In January 2024, the Jigawa State Government was reported to have suspended the officials assigned to implement the N1.7 billion COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus program in the state over alleged fraud.

Those meant to benefit from the program were peasant farmers, vulnerable households, and small businesses.

Complaints from farmers about not receiving the farm inputs led to the formation of a committee to investigate the activities of FADAMA.

The government’s spokesperson, Sagir Musa, had noted that the government suspended the state’s coordinator of the FADAMA III programme, Aminu Isah, along with all 27 desk officers.

He said the step followed a resolution of the State Executive Council meeting presided over by the governor on a Wednesday.

“The State Executive Council deliberated on the Committee of Inquiry Report on NG-J-CARES Result Area 2: Fadama presented before the Council and approved the immediate suspension of the State Coordinator and all the 27 LGAs Desk Officers of the NG-JCARES Result Area 2: Fadama in the State," the report said.

In December 2024, the Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, expressed concern over delays and poor arrangements by agro-dealers tasked with distributing farm inputs to wheat farmers in the state.