The House of Representatives has passed through second reading a Bill for an Act to Provide for establishment and composition of Agricultural Development Trust Fund (ADETFUND) which would amount to N300 billion annually.
The trust fund is to be sourced from a 1% surcharge on all revenue of the Federal Government revenue generation agencies such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Ports Authority, amongst others.
Sponsored by Ademorin Kuye (APC, Lagos), the Bill seeks to among others establish an agricultural development trust fund to give grants to agricultural units directly, particularly financing farm units.
Leading the debate on the proposed legislation, Kuye said when approved, it will help track effectively government spending in agriculture and provide measurable indices for growth and improvement.
He said: “The fund will directly develop Agriculture and procure equipment for land clearing, land development, earth moving, drainage development, water drilling rigs, local and farm road building, specialized and non-specialized input and produce transport, specialized and non-specialized storage facilities, human transport, quarrying, cement batching, cement form plant, building construction, farm tractors and Implements, combine harvesters, other harvesters, planting and fertilizer, drilling irrigation systems, wood chipping andgrinding, chemicals and insecticides spraying, ATV ‘s, workshops, electric generators, solar panel & electric systems, wind turbines among others.
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“The fund will organize farmers in the country into four types of cooperatives namely: Farmers Multipurpose (crop, livestock etc.) processing, storage and produce marketing cooperatives for direct benefit of the subsidy.”
Also, the House at plenary on Wednesday, the Green Chamber passed for second reading a bill seeking establishment of Nigerian Merchant Navy Coast Guard to protect Nigerian territorial waters from pollution
Sponsor of the bill, Tajudeen Adefisoye from Ondo State while leading debate said the functions of the Corps shall include monitoring and protection of the Nigerian territorial waters from pollution during ship building in docks and in slip-ways and during construction of any marine facilities.
Adefisoye also said the Corps shall provide and respond to Emergency Quick Rescue Facilities, First Aid medical services for Marines and Merchant Ships, Seamen operating in Nigerian waters Personnels and in the riverine, Inland coastline and Creeks waterways and in maritime environment.
He added that the Guards will “monitor and control all Government and commercial transport boats or any marine facilities operating in the maritime offshore and onshore environment and check the safety of lives, and fire prevention, accident installation equipment used on such boats for safety protection.”
Similarly, the lawmakers, while adopting the report of the Conference Committee of both chambers, approved the establishment of Nigerian Maritime Security Trust Fund for training, provision of security equipment and regulated facilities, and to enhance the skills of the personnel of the Nigerian Navy.
In the report which was presented by the Chairman House Committee on Navy, Yusuf Gagdi, the House approved the recommendation that the appointment of its Executive Secretary should be the prerogative of the President.
