Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has confirmed leaked memo that is in circulation online is authentic.
FMARD added that President Muhammadu Buhari consented to the the approval for using N30m for the constitution of a “Friday mosque” for herdsmen in Borno in order to meet the demand of a displaced community.
It disclosed this in a statement on Thursday issued by the Director Information, FMARD, Theodore Ogaziechi, reacting to media reports about the memo, which sparked outrage among many Nigerians who wondered why such huge amount was budgeted for religious affairs through agriculture ministry.
Read Also: Leaked Memo: Agric Ministry Approves N30m For Construction Of ‘Friday’ Mosque
Ogaziechi added that livestock farmers were sacked from their settlements in Ngarannam/Mafa local government area of Borno by Boko Haram.
He noted that the ministry’s memo approving N30 million to construct a mosque was an official document available for public scrutiny and review.
The statement reads;
Our attention has been drawn to an online publication by a newspaper alleging that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has come under fire on social media following a leaked memo conveying the approval of N30m for the construction of a Friday mosque with taxpayers’ fund.
In addition, a government official memo, dated December 10, 2020 with ref. No. FMA/PROC/AHS/SIP/2020/7742/1 stating that the Ministerial Tenders Board approved the contract, was displayed on the platform.
The statement further explained;
To put the facts straight, the memo is authentic and appropriate in all ramifications. It is original and was issued by the ministry for the construction of a worship centre for a community of livestock farmers who were sacked and displaced in Borno State by Boko Haram insurgents and are being resettled in Ngarannam/Mafa local government, Borno.
Apart from the mosque, other common facilities provided for the livestock farmers in the community include solar-powered boreholes with overhead tanks and drinking troughs for their cattle and small ruminants.
The ministry went ahead to state that apart from the mosque, other common facilities provided for the livestock farmers in the community include solar-powered boreholes with overhead tanks and drinking troughs for their cattle and small ruminants.
Continuing, the statement revealed;
The construction of the mosque was a special request from the community through the Borno State Government to avoid moving too far from the settlement areas for prayers and also to ensure their safety and contact with the insurgents.
It, however, added;
The memo is an official document, and it is available for public scrutiny and review. It is, therefore, unfortunate for anyone to presume that the memo leaked.
The ministry is in no way perturbed about the matter because it received appropriate approval, carried out due needs assessment and ensured due process in the execution of the project.
The ministry advised that in the future, due diligence and restraint should be observed before publications of this nature, as it argued that it was meant for public good and security.
