The House of Representatives Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils and Ancillary Matters has invited the Minister of State of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mariya Bunkure over the deplorable state of the Fish Farm Estate, Bwari, Abuja.
Chairman of the committee, Fred Agbedi, disclosed this during an oversight visit to the estate on Monday.
He expressed displeasure over the state of the farm, which he said did not align with the aspiration of President Bola Tinubu to ensure food security for Nigerians.
Agbedi lamented the total neglect of the farm estate, describing it as a noble initiative that had been completely abandoned.
“This committee, today, in continuation of the oversight on the agriculture department visited this estate. And to our surprise and chagrin disbelief, it is very clear that this noble idea has been abandoned,” he said.
He noted that basic infrastructure such as electricity, water, drainage systems, and access roads were non-existent, rendering the facility dysfunctional.
“There’s no electricity, no power, there’s no water, there’s no drainage system, there’s no access road. There is also no drains that take the wastewater from the various fish farms out. There are also no staff to run this place. Security is also a challenge,” he said.
He noted that the current state of the estate contradicts the president’s push to turn Nigeria into an agricultural hub and ensure food safety. He said the Committee had resolved to summon the FCT Minister of State, who supervises the agriculture department, to appear before it and explain the reasons behind the neglect of the estate.
“We want to use this opportunity to invite the Minister of State of FCT who supervises this department to cause appearance with this department before this committee so that some issues as to the functionality of this estate will be addressed,” Agbedi said.
While sympathising with residents and investors who had partnered with the government in good faith but had been let down, Agbedi said.
“When our citizens that we represent, that are citizens of FCT, that are productive people, people that do have knowledge on fish farming, partner with government, putting their resources to ensure that they contribute to the well-being of this nation and government reneges on that partnership, it is very painful”.
He described the situation as harrowing for the people and a breach of the social contract. He pledged that the Committee would not stand by and watch the government default on its obligations to the people.
“There is no way, as supervising committee, we will fold our hands and see government not doing the needful to ensure that this sector, fish farming sector, becomes productive, contributes to the economy and well-being of our nation and our people.”
He assured the residents and stakeholders in the estate of the National Assembly’s commitment to restoring the farm to its intended purpose.
“We want to assure you that we will do our best as National Assembly. We are here on behalf of Mr. Speaker, who instituted this committee to oversight this sector. And I can assure you that working with Mr. Speaker, we will ensure that we bring this place back to life.”
Responding, the Acting Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat of the Farm, Dabit Agbo, said the project was conceived based on the 38th annual conference of the Nigerian National Fisheries Development Committee meeting having realised the country was expending a lot of money in importing fish.
He said the project started in 2012 but due to low budgetary provision has not been able to live up to expectations.
Agbo said it was a pilot project, which was supposed to be replicated across the 36 states where the federal government would provide infrastructure and the private sector would be the investor in a bid boost local fish production.
He said there is provision for 100 fish farmers in the farm but just eight were operating mostly bearing the expenses of infrastructure on their own, which is not the ideal situation.
