Opposition leader Nankhumwa goes to town on chaotic cheap fertilizer programme
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa has dared President Lazarus Chakwera to fix the challenges farmers are currently facing in accessing and buying cheap fertilizer and seeds under the Affordable Input Programme (AIP).
In a public statement issued on Friday the 27th of November, 2020, Nankhumwa , who is also Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice-president (South) has described the AIP as a disaster.
“I would like to call upon the Tonse Alliance government to come up with workable solutions to this criss within an urgent timeframe,” said Nankhumwa in astatement made available to Nyasa Times.
He continued: “A few weeks ago, the Minister of Agriculture and other government officials assured Malawians that the AIP challenges would be resolved within two weeks. The two-week period has elapsed and the solution does not seem to be anywhere near being resolved.
“In fact, the situation seems to be deteriorating further. If need be, the electronic system must be abandoned and let a manual verification system be used instead,” said Nankhumwa who is also DPP Vice President for the southern region.”
Nankhumwa also says that government had planned for 370,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer but so far, only 37,000 metric tonnes have been distributed across the country.
“To say that AIP is a complete disaster and that we are nation that faces hunger next year would be an understatement. The current fertilizer situation is extremely disturbing and especially occurring against the backdrop of Tonse Alliance’s three-meals-a- day pledge that made to the people of Malawi,” said Nankhumwa who once served as Minister of Agriculture in DPP led government.
Reports indicate that the programme is facing numerous challenges from ICT hiccups to selling underweight bags of farm inputs. Other dealers are said to be selling low quality seeds and overpricing of the inputs amongst others.
Government engaged 83 private companies to supply the AIP across the country but only 46 companies have actually distributed or are still distributing their inputs while the others have dropped out of circulation, according to the Leader of the Opposition.
Nankhumwa has also asked the Faith community, including the Public Affairs Committee, the Evangelical Association of Malawi, Episcopal Conference of Malawi, the Muslim Association of Malawi, the General Synod of the CCAP, and other faith communities in the country to hold interdenominational prayers to pray for our country to have good rains and not destructive rains.
Tonse Government you are not listening, IF you continue like that you will have a MIGHTY fall. Please, effect a thorough system OVERHAUL. Do not keep DPP top cadets 8n key positions, they will give you a hot clap ,mbama in chicheea. It is not about firing them, move them around. These guys can not be trusted. Suffer not the witches and wizards to live. They are outright Evil. On a successful farm they are NO sacred cows. Wishing the novice government a very viable transition.
Sanapeze pomugoneka pabwino anthu onsedi awayesa osauka, ALENDO nonse CHOKANI!!!!
As far as i’m concerned, the people who were chosen by whatever methods by elders and apparently further scrutinised and chosen by authorities or computer systems at capital hill, where i come from the majority have collected the cheap fertlizer and seed! Initially, due to the euphoria and fear of missing out, it seems everybody wanted the get the inputs on the first day which was impossible, and created un necessary chaos and i understand the network (as usual) was an issue! And they were long queus indeed. But it’s good tp note that lines are reducing! But u can’t… Read more »
Fat boy tsopano.
Mind you Malawians, Professor Ronald Mangani watilesa kupemphelera mvula popeza madzi tili nawo ambiri ndiye njala njofuna 🍚🇲🇼
We knew from the word go that the AIP would face problems, literally all of which are man made by DPP saboteurs planted in every ministry to derail any positive move by the Tonse Alliance government.
Stop blaming DPP. Chakwera not Munthalika is in the driving seat. Wake up brother
Bwana Mtete, you wanted DPP out and it happened according to your wish. Where now does DPP appear in your flops? Shame on you! That kind of backward thinking doesn’t have any place in transformational leadership that you have always claimed to adopt. I ve never seen any individual or organisation that rushes to blame others for their own problems succeeding in finding the solutions . The practicality of AIP was doubtful even fro the beginning.
Nkhaniyi ndiyowona anthu akugona pa mzere wokagula fertilizer, lets not politisize the story
Caretaker uyu…Ayini ake akubwela.
Nankhumwa has to make himself relevant by making some noises here and there. The truth is he is no longer recognized by the DPP executive and governing council
On this one Nankhumwa is right. This is a do or break deal Chakwera needs all the hands on the decor. It is early of course to suggest that they have failed cos its only six months BUT a good start in politics is always a plus so they must just try to resolve these glitches & make sure that people get fertilizers before it is too late as the rains have already started falling.
Damn you. Why accuse HE.