The Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu has directed staff of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) in the Region to initiate pragmatic measures to prevent fertilizer smuggling to neighbouring countries.
He also urged citizens, especially those living at the entry points to be vigilant and patriotic enough to report unpatriotic acts of fertilizer smuggling to Security Agencies to arrest the perpetrators.
“Government is going to bring fertilizer this year, but of course if the smuggling has not stopped, farmers may not get enough quantities for their farms, and we all know the consequences of that,” he said.
The Regional Minister gave the directive when he interacted with staff of the Binduri and Bongo District Assemblies as part of his official visit to all 15 Municipal and the District Assemblies in the region.
He said government was in the process to supply farmers with adequate fertilizers this year, and emphasized the need for vigilance to ensure the commodity was not smuggled outside the country.
At the Binduri District Assembly, the Minister tasked the Feeder Roads Department to expertise action on some major bridges and axillary roads in the District to enable residents move easily as the raining season approached.
He advised workers to appear smart and attractive in their dressing but not shabbily dressed as they served as role models to residents, adding that it was critical for nursing mothers to enroll their young children in crêches so that they could have enough time to concentrate on their work.
He also urged District Directors of Health, Education and Agriculture to liaise with their respective Members of Parliament to address some of the challenges they faced in their line of duty to improve on the living conditions of the people.
Hon. Yakubu and his entourage inspected the Agenda lll project under construction in the Binduri District and ‘One- District, One Factory’ for Shea Butter production, and the ‘One- District, One Dam’ in the Bongo District.
