Pay Outstanding Counterpart Funds – ADP

The Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) in Bayelsa has appealed to the state government to pay outstanding counterpart funds for its projects to enable the agency to perform better.

The Programme Manager of ADP in the state, Mr Jackson Diebegha, made the appeal in an interview with The Tide in Yenagoa.

He said that some of its programmes, including the National Programme for Food Security and Root and Tuber Expansion were not being executed due to non-payment of counterpart funds by the state government.

Diebegha said the last contribution made by the state government was in 2007 but could not state its level of indebtedness to the programme.

He lamented that inability of the government to make counterpart contributions had made the agency unable to discharge its duties of assisting farmers in the state, particularly in helping them to improve on modern farming techniques.

The manager said that the situation had hindered agricultural development in Bayelsa as ADP and farmers in the state were lagging behind in applying new methods of farming, including provision of essential materials.

Diebegha said the ADP in the state needed about N10.7million for its Root and Tuber Expansion programme and N74.8million for Food Security, annually.

According to him, other states, especially in the Niger Delta, are doing relatively well because their programmes are well funded and their activities are going on smoothly.

He appealed to Governor Seriake Dickson to redeem the outstanding counterpart contributions of the state to ADP matters and strengthen the agency as part of his restoration agenda.

He urged the government to encourage the production of agricultural products in commercial quantities, adding that it was in line with ongoing economic diversification crusade in the country.