The Federal Government is to spend about N60 billion to procure 10million telephone
handsets from China and the US for free distribution to rural farmers
across the country.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal
Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Ibukun Odusote, said
the handsets would be made available to the farmers in the first quarter of this year.
She said the programme is aimed at
establishing direct electronic communication between the government and
farmers on agricultural matters, adding that the beneficiaries would be
“women and youths” in rural areas.
“The handsets will be the tools with which to communicate with the farmers in the rural areas, deep deep into the interiors so that we will be able to communicate with them even in the hinterlands.”
Jeez, this country! N60billion to buy handsets? What are they buying, BlackBerry Porsche phones? Lol. And did the farmers say that their problem is a mobile phone? I don't understand this our government...
I believe the handset will be put tractors in their farms as well as fertilizERS!
ReplyDeleteSo true.just another way for corruption to thrive.thieves!
DeleteI tell u...as if the handset will provide them all what they need...What kind of Government is this? 60Billion not even Million...God have Mercy.
DeleteMost annoyin is that d farmers won't get d so called handsets. Why not provide assesible roads to rural areas, fertilizers, farming equipmnts instead? Smh for my country.
DeleteThieves thieves thieves.... They are out again to loot money this 2013. RUBBISH
DeleteWot tha...? 60billion for fones??? And wu say diz farmaz dnt av one??...mke dem use am give fertilzer or smtin meaninful. 60billion for fone? Nija!!!
ReplyDeleteGEJ and his cohorts are crook, they don't even know the right thing to do. Was that part of the promises he promised Nigerians for 2013? Clueless Gov.
ReplyDeleteOta fun omo ti nje eruuuu!!!
Here we go again. Another action of the Federal Government, which confirms, without a doubt, that its priorities are misplaced. Given that one is meant to start the year as they intend to end it, we can only imagine what's to come. God help Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteUna don see us lik mugus naa. Obviousli mite b sagem or simens fones not even nokia torchlite. Na em dem one purchase 4 60B . Even 10M is too much .
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of crazy assed idea is this....
ReplyDeleteN6000 per Chinese phone? When Nokia has N3000 phones? We've all seen this movie before...we know how it ends. It would be nice to be surprised for a change, but I have very low hopes for that.
ReplyDeleteThat's about 30billion naira stolen
DeleteAnd the very educated ochuka tying finance minister signed for 60billion to be released for phones? Honestly how would phones help these farmers grow cassava?
DeleteAnoda avenue 2 chop moni. Who talk say farmers nor get handset? If u buy handset F̶̲̥̅̊☺я dem u go de recharge A̶̲̥̅♏ 4 dem? Mtcheew SMH 4 dis country
ReplyDeleteI swear...hope they will also allocate billions too for top-up and tutors for those that don't know how to use the phones...
Delete#misplacedpriorities
60billion for handset?.....*Una FaDa dere*.......*IDIAT*
ReplyDeleteConfused much!!! 60billion!!! Na wa ooooo! God is on d throne ! If the government lacks wisdom, they should ask God ooo hian!
ReplyDelete60 billion? This is another scheme to steal funds as usual. Who told them that the problem of farmers is handsets, as at in the 80's when Nigeria was the Agricultural power house of Africa were the farmers using handsets then? When they should be talking about fertilizers and soft loans to farmers they are talking about phones. Mtcheew... Smh...
ReplyDeleteTo live long just ignore the foolish pranks our so called opportunists we refer to as government do. One thing is certain which is death but they never learn because they have sold their souls to the devil . I feel sorry for the disasters and curses they bring upon themselves and their innocent generation.
ReplyDeleteIt is called misplaced priorities,this is completely senseless,you are providing handsets in rural areas where there are no communication mast,I remember traveling to cross river state where there was no network at all,so please for Godsake what is this jonathan government thinking,this are leaders without vision fortunate to be in position and think like dummies
ReplyDeleteSpeechless.......
ReplyDeleteIs that suppose to facilitate the supply of fertilizer or implement usage of traitors? The attitude of these government officials will never stop to amaze me. Me no say som1 just wake and think of fast way to make money.
ReplyDeleteThat is N6,000.00 per handset. What of the sim card and recharge card? Or the electric power to charge the phone battery? I swear, this country needs a revolution.
ReplyDeleteBull sheet of paper, arrant nonsense, another avenue to make money n d fones will eventually b sold to them.question is, is that what they need? The fed govt should be able to differentiate btw need n want. Total crappppppppppppPppppppp
ReplyDeleteMtcheww... How do dey charge d fones??
ReplyDeleteAbi ooooo,guess that will be their next avenue to embezzle.They would supply transformers and negerators(juxtapose). Zurielle's opinion
DeleteTHIS IS THE HEIGHT OF STUPIDITY I CRY FOR NAIJA
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine, handsets? Is that their problems for God sake! Oh my God, did the farmers request for phone, eh Niger
ReplyDelete60billion...thas jes pure stupidity @its highest. Thieves
ReplyDeleteGEJ said he wud move faster this year! Just one of the signs is d fone. Hahahahahah 2015 posters indeed. Jonadull for president again and again. just the best the kidnappers countymen cud offer. WE WANT IT COME 2019 again.oko allison and otteh go on soun.
ReplyDeleteChineke ekwekwala ihe ojo.pls wat r dey goin to discuss?wen odas r practicing mechanized farming ,they r sharing fone .I weep.buh pls did d house of reps nd senate actually approve ds low IQ scam?
ReplyDeleteDr olaspecial
Waste of money, misplaced priority, embezzlement (branded misappropriation of funds). OLE!!!
ReplyDeleteAuthority steal pass armed robber - Fela Anikulapo Kuti
I swear- fela kuti said it
DeleteMEN WHAT KIND OF EXPENSIVE PRANKS ARE THESE??? Is there a farmer who needs a mobile phone that can't buy 3310 for 3k??? now the added cost of MTN credit. Fertilizer never reach the farmers,road network to mill crops,mechanization...micro loan facilities etc
ReplyDeleteFuck these guys
This our present government is the most confuse government on planet earth.N60b handset for farmers - farmers that don't have adequate fertilizer, no any form of preserving measure for their farm products but govt is spending 60b for handset that have nothing to change. That I know for sure, that our foolish leaders will never embark on any project that they will not directly benefit from. They are just looking for way to steal the N60b. Just watch out for the next stage of the project - Nokia3310 will go for N150k if not more.. God will punish them one after another..
ReplyDeleteAm trying not to talk but heeee!! Am I dreaming? Handset for what? God pls don't leave us alone in this country,pls intervene. Habah!
ReplyDeleteBring access road from the farm land in the rural down to cities, where their goods can be sold. Provide them with good storage facilities, Mumu government. Thieves! Ole!! Barawo!!!
ReplyDeleteTHERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOING TO SCHOOL AND BEING EDUCATED
ReplyDeleteWHO WILL ANSWER THE CALLS?
HOW WILL THEY CHARGE THE PHONES?
WHO WILL ATTEND TO THEIR COMPLAINTS?
WHOEVER CAME UP WITH THIS MOTION IS A THIEF
60 BILLION
THE BIBLE SAID DARKNESS SHALL COVER THE EARTH AND GROSS DARKNESS, THE PEOPLE
Linda u got it all wrong, it's 6k per phone. It's still within a reasonable price range. My only fear is of the phones not getting to the intended beneficiaries
ReplyDeleteWhy do they even need to give them fones? Is that their main problem?
DeleteLinda dey para, well that's the Nigerian Government and their transformational agenda, that's just another way to enrich themselves, even if it were to be true, why handsets? why not empower them, use the money to procure seeds,tractors, fertilizers etc for these people. buying 10million handsets at N100k each isnt = N60bn, this only happens in Nigeria.
ReplyDeletewhat a waste??? we all kno that money wont be used for what it is actually intended for!!!
ReplyDeleteHmn!!!!!! Handsets or tractors?How will the handsets increase our agricultural produce?this Fg obviously thinks through their armpits. Zurielle is walking off
ReplyDeleteJust when I was getting optimistic about Nigeria in 2013.. kmt. they always come up with awesome foolishness that sends my hopes plummeting.
ReplyDeleteLinda is there no blogger plugin that can allow people to like others' comments? That would be fab... that good feeling of knowing people think you make sense. *winks
Ok, I lik ur comment. Got ur gd feeling now? Lool
Deleteand yet people will still open their moufs and say this administration is working and their moufs will still be ready to lambaste anybody dah says otherwise...... Ass lickers !
ReplyDeleteNIGERIA...
ReplyDeleteRubbisch!!!
ReplyDeleteAbacha was better than this wicked heartless no human feelings Jona n his cabal! This is wat I call d peak of misplaced priority, this same rural farmers wey no get good livin conditions n wetin the useless FG wan do na 2 waste 10bill in buying Phones? Jona n his cabal shld be beware of d prayers of d poor! Their end no go good
ReplyDeleteMy Godddddd. What's going on in nigeria ooo. Na that one be their problems. See as them dey call the money like say na kobo. God is watching all of you in HD. Nonsense
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that our government don't think the way other individuals do?? Which one is 60 billion naira for handsets,abi na bb torch,porshe abi na samsung galaxy dey wan buy for the rural farmers(only God knows if it is not nokia torch or chicoooo)..instead of buing mordern agricultural machineries or perhaps using the money to give out as loan to farmers who want to improve their way of agriculture;they are busy using it for a meaningless awooofff.no be say awoofff no dey sweet ooo but at least it should be meaningful for once.God help Naija
ReplyDelete60 billion can buy about 50 billion handsets.there are only 7 billion people in the world,outof which ther are 140million Nigerians.almost every Nigerian has a mobilefone........Our government is confused,theve run out of ideas of stealing money that's y!
ReplyDeleteAbeg what have farmers got to do with telephones?who's going to be loading credit on the pones?it doesn't make sense.have they provided them the essential tools they need for farming?.
ReplyDeleteI am tired of getting angry at dis govt.their priorities are misplaced,their motives are Selfish and their intentions evil as always!!
GEJ for the billiont time,may God punish u and ur govt.
AMEN!!!
DeleteOk lets say they actually spent all that money on mobile phones. The farmers only need to call and text right? At the volume they are purchasing they can get phones for 1000-2000 Naira. That should total to least ~25 million mobile phones. So Sir/Madam what happened to the remaining 15 million handsets.
ReplyDeletelol...to communicate in which areas...lolol...is there service there sef?? in the city we are having network issues, imagine the villa????
ReplyDeletePls the money shd be used in educating/training/buying and maintaining of modern tools/equipment...pls are we still using hoes to farm??? lolol
Z
make dem leave matter jor, na today, no even wan comment for naija matter sef,wetin man go do, some people go build mansion untop sey dem wan buy handset anyway sha,,, omosexy!
ReplyDeleteThief!!!
ReplyDeleteDis contry is goin nuts..so dese illetrate farmers knw hw to use fone abii or is it when they call dat d perm second will pik....pffft dese ppl r mad 60milion even if its china fones tueh fr dis country...evrydae dey'll b lukin fr new techniques to steal money stupid country
ReplyDeleteGoodluck and his goons!these guys are aware of the imminent demise of Nija. They are looking 4 every avenue to loot her wealth.
ReplyDeletePeople should relax... The handset is a new technology , the farmer can call the yams, cassava , corn or whatever is planted to check the condition.. They(yam, cassava etc) would give a detailed update on happenings at the farm, if it's raining , or if they have eaten , or who visited them ...innovative technology ..
ReplyDeleteGbemmy u no well I swear.no b small technology.imagine on how 10million ppl dey call minister of agric abi na gej.............""oga presido gd mornin o,the cassava wey I harvest since 3 days grinder never come make I do d garri,say him Gen don spoil.me I don soak d cassava begin chop with coconut o,road no good,I for carry am go junction grind.no vex o.abeg send me credit.""
DeleteROTFLMBAO!!!!!!!
Delete60Billion???? What ever happened to constructing good roads to transport their produce?? Fertilizer, tractors, good grains ETC.. GEJ is just a "waste", blind, greedy set of leaders
ReplyDeletethis country self..they should stop deceiving us cos re not clowns...60billion is too much naa...it even can buy a black berry bold 5 for each adult Nigeiran....
ReplyDeletethis is not our Agric sector needs mr Minister....use ur head not ours....
mobile phone sha wt 60b? make dem use the phone plant and harvest garri and rice? smh
ReplyDeleteThis Govt is a huge joke
ReplyDeleteI can confidently tell you from an Economists perspective in terms of balance of trade,GDP and return on investment that you'd get more out of physically setting 60billion naira ablaze than spending it on this madness in the current Nigerin climate. No?
ReplyDeleteThis is simply ridiculous. I tell some 60 billion naira has been misappropriated or better still stolen from federal ministry of Agriculture and somebody is trying to cover the crime by saying the money is being used to buy phones for farmers. Remenber most of these rural farmers are stark illitrates.
ReplyDeletey do u pple beliv anytin? Hv u taken time to find out d budget of d ministry for dis year? If u do, u wil find out dat dis is false news.
ReplyDeletei will sue my agricultural science teacher way back in secondary school for not telling me that handsets are important part of agriculture...no wonder i failed waec...heheheheheh
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a joke. We have idiots in government, so after all deliberationS all they could come up with to improve farming in Nigeria is to buy 60 billion naira worth of phones?. We are being lead by a bunch of fools that are not even qualified to rear animals.
ReplyDeleteMisplaced priority. May God help us in this country
ReplyDeleteWhat is it LINDA - COST PRICE IS JUST 6000 - IS THAT SO MUCH? NA WAH FOR YOU!
ReplyDeleteN60BN This must be a joke.
ReplyDelete“The handsets will be the tools with which to communicate with the farmers in the rural areas, deep deep into the interiors so that we will be able to communicate with them even in the hinterlands.”
ReplyDeleteEnglish Language seems to be a major challenge for Nigerian Leaders. It isn't monopolized anymore by Patience Jona alone...
We need a Federal Ministry of English Affairs or a Committee should be set up to look into the delivery of English by Nigerian Leaders. hahahaha!
Linda, I've decided this year I won't complain about government. Make I try supply some of the phones, I fit become instant billionaire inside the 60billion wey dem wan spend. "second base jare"
ReplyDeleteI hope they also procure generators with which they would charge the handsets.
ReplyDeletePst Adeboye has said it alrdy,let dem cont to steal n let's see if dr wld take the money to the grave.
ReplyDeleteSeriously GEJ and his cohorts are taking this joke too far!!! For how long are we going to keep quiet and watch them milk our economy? This has to stop!!!
ReplyDelete2013 begins with another ridiculous way to steal public funds.....bunch of crazy mofos....government of the government , by d government and for the government...fire will burn dem in 2013.......ping 277DDBCD or www.facebook.com/yelnatsfashion for clothings and accessories
ReplyDeleteNIGERIA: THEATRE OF THE ABSURD...
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that our leaders have seen it as a curse to do something meaningful or analytical, N60billion on handsets, leaders with no foresight
ReplyDeleteScam Alert !!!
ReplyDeleteLinda post my comment na
ReplyDeletewell, this is a model that was successfully used in India and i think the government of Nigeria is cross pollinating the same idea as one of the means to revamp the agricultural sector. I believe its a good approach if they actually purchase 10 million phones for the farmers, forget the fact that its 6,000 naira per phone, looking at the bigger picture its a good start if effectively delivered.
ReplyDeleteno on a more serious note, when they give them the phones, they will plant them or serve as FERTILIZERS, this Govt is f**king confused, this is just an obvious case of misplaced priorities. SMH for Naija.
ReplyDeleteHow can we have a government that think like this? What is wrong with using that money to create a road network for these farmers to reach the urban areas? Or buying machines to help them make their jobs faster and more efficient? We have lost it as a country, and its really depressing... :(
ReplyDeleteMisplaced priorities....
ReplyDeleteThis is what u get when people, religious leaders are not sincere. Adeboye what was ur advice to GEJ? How many farmers has access to network in their rural community? If they strike a deal with any of the Telecommunication company won't it be cheaper? Shame on all of u that can reason well cos u feel GEJ is ur brother in christ
ReplyDeleteNigeria... Majoring in the minor since 1960.
ReplyDeletei think dey wanna make nyt call with the farmers,..make dem follow buy recharge card too oooo
ReplyDeleteIsoriat. next the government will spend 70 billion naira on condom for prostitutes as a way to fight AIDS. or 80 billion naira on perfume to help them get costomers. Naija!!! the more you listen to naija news, the more you get headache and confusion.
ReplyDeleteGbemmy you are so funny lolzzzzzz, abeg my ribs want to crack
ReplyDeleteWhy do pple think dis way,2012 January fuel subsidy, 2013 distribution of phone, there are a lot of better thing 2 do,wht make u think phone is wht d farmer need,some farmers are using BB,IPhone u want 2 give them chinco phones.graduate are many on d road u want 2 give out phones, security is nothing 2 write home abt u wht 2 give out phones. SUREP we c kwn result idajo olorun n bo layi pe mo.Ebi n pa awon eniyan o ni ki won wa jo.olorun lo maa da.
ReplyDeleteTalk about misplaced priority by GEJ administration... I sorry for Naija walahi, 60B Naira for cellphones?! How about the govt use the N60B to provide micro-finance to the farmers instead to help them grow their business translating to a stronger & more productive agricultural sector.....
ReplyDeleteWhat are the handsets for?. I think they are to call heaven.
ReplyDeleteWil dey buy credit to,or it's contract line.
ReplyDeleteHuman govt has failed totally, no man I say no man in dis life can lead us well. All of dem are alll corrupt nd dt is y some pppl has decided nt 2 waste der time voting 4 all these theives. Its hieght time we started praying 4 God's intervention dan waiting 4 a corrupt man 2 do wt is right 4 one day
ReplyDeleteWell, the farmers are already so happy about this news judging frm their faces in the pix Ikeji pikin put up so. Lol
ReplyDeletePls am changing all my BBM contacts this new year. I need new friends to replace em. Let old things pass away. 2989B701.
I just need only 72 people to send requests. Pls 72 only.
From a security perspective, this is a brilliant idea.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't agree, send your wife or sister to a remote farmland, to harvest your crops, without any electronic means of communication.
I know I wouldn't, with all the constant molestations I read about.
This our government should make new year resolution on how to bw moving forward but instead they are moving backward.
ReplyDeleteLord! you're the only one that can provide wisdom.
Hand set or tractors n fertilizers. May God help us in this country
ReplyDeleteSo they are going to buy phones 1 billion the remaining 59 billion na to share - this must have been awarded to either him babe or him family member - make them do serious probing .these guys keep stealing as if no 1 can do them any .well make them continue
ReplyDeleteIt is high time Nigerians put a stop (non-violent approach) to waste of public funds and expunge corrupt leaders from our system. I'm tired of joking over such issues.
ReplyDeleteThis is what Fela calls chop & clean mouth....GEJ you ahould do a face-palm for being the most daft/ wasteful Nigerian president yet! Geez, 60billy for phones?!
ReplyDeleteCommon you guys, its not as bad as you illiterates see it. simple arithmetics. divide N60billion by 10million phones,thats just N6000/phone.
ReplyDeleteCommon you guys, its not as bad as you illiterates see it. simple arithmetics. divide N60billion by 10million phones,thats just N6000/phone.
ReplyDeleteCome on guys lets do simple arithemetics here. Divide N60billion by 10million phones. Thats approximately N6000/phone.
ReplyDeleteHaba!!! GEJ..... There's a God, in these rural village is there constant light? Is there even light in Abuja talk less of Lagos or PH. I'm agree because Nigerians are sleeping while theives steal our children's future away. Enough is enough! We already know that this money is only going towards gej's political campaign for 2nd term. Mehn, o su aeon ota mi.
ReplyDeleteHow many villages can boast of base stations and electricity.GEJ continue to pile up money for 2015.You will not live to spend it.
ReplyDelete#60 000 000 000 for what ? WTF ? On top which network, power and know how. This is a misplaced priority. Pls buy Generator join for them....
ReplyDelete..for all dumb persons who r saying bullshit..the phones will be distributed to curb the excesses of middle-men, deliver fertilizers directly to farmers and receive end products directly from farmers ....please Nigerians, come out of your dead and sickened mentality..it won't move take ur country anywhere...dumbads!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCompliments from Mymobnet -A leading Nigerian Mobile and Technology blog
ReplyDeleteDoes the handset produce artificial sunlight??All these are avenues for embezzlement.
ReplyDeleteHello guys,
ReplyDeleteLet us not take this whole thing out of context. I am not about to support the Government but let us read in-between the lines and not just take sides.
The Government is procuring a technology and not just phones. This technology will help the farmers to know the accurate and current market prices. It also enables them to get information on best agricultural practices (in their native languages)... and so on.
Its not just phones oh! Let us be properly guided..
Oga Lecturer thanks for educating us on una plans per the handset distribution,cutting out middle men etc....but my own be say why do they bother telling us abt the 60 Billion in the first place,is not as if anybody is querying them on how the oil wealth is been used,so they can as well do whatever they want wit the money(60B)without bothering me and u...see now how they want make we begin fight ourselves, that's if you are not one of them...or maybe a politicians-praise singers,,ANUOFIA MADU.
ReplyDeleteGuys! before we just start taking sides, its important that we take time to ask fundamental questions. My understanding is that the Government is procuring a technology and not just phones.
ReplyDeleteThis technology will help the farmers to get current and accurate info on market prices, get info on best practices in agriculture, etc. (all of this provided in the native language).
My blame goes to the public relations arm of the Government for not appropriately passing across this message and letting all these hungry media guys to sell bad news to gullible and lazy Nigerians (who cannot do simple research on their own and believe everything they are told).
GUYS, wake up!
Yeye govt. GEJ should be ashamed
ReplyDeletejona! jona!! I sent u 2 nigeria 2 help d poor masses n u decided 2 disobey abi? Oya enta inside d belly of d fish n after three days u tell me if u still wan take N60bill buy fone for farmers. Clueless president.
ReplyDeletei think the farmers need more machaines to make their job easier and faster which will in turn bring more produce yeild and with this they can buy an-y phone they want. i guess common sense no common
ReplyDeleteI want to believe tat this is a good gesture towards the devt of our dear Nation.
ReplyDeletebut it doesn't seem to look like a sensible or logical move by the FG.
This is another example of the so called "miss-placement of priorities"
#myNigeria
Abi ooo! Pls tell them Linda!
ReplyDeleteThe government is subsidizing oil and Boko Haram but will only buy farmers phones!!
Such idiocy!
***Lush
People, patiently do the math, 60B naira on phones for 10m people(farmers) would come down to ₦6000/phone, that, we all know isn't a luxury. However, I feel ₦60B can be expended on more productive initiatives...because if you have to buy a ₦6000 phone for a farmer, it would almost mean you would have to load recharge cards for such a person too.
ReplyDeleteIn criticizing the Govt. lets do it constructively and not blindly.
This matter is very complicated, Maybe our government try to put technology in the farmers there. Like this handset I can't imagine if what is the deep reason of the government but for instead of giving them a handset, what if our government give them enough material for their farming?
ReplyDeleteA webmaster of used tractors
Nigeria my country!!! 60 billion naira 4 phones....hmmmmmmm. As the country be na that one dey wan face??? Well well. Kudos to em...I'm sure it easnt easy to come up wt such a bright idea
ReplyDeleteNigeria my country!!! 60 billion naira 4 phones....hmmmmmmm. As the country be na that one dey wan face??? Well well. Kudos to em...I'm sure it easnt easy to come up wt such a bright idea
ReplyDeleteA.B.M Ʊ crack me up...bright idea kor.
ReplyDeleteN60 Billion to procure phones for farmers who mostly live in rural areas that have no network! I weep for my country
ReplyDeleteStupid govt very soon they will use 100billion to buy laptops and ipads for native doctors
ReplyDelete