In his agricultural development drive in Kogi state, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo said his administration has saved the state over N20 billion from recovery and refurbishment of about 200 abandoned tractors deployed for the 2024 wet season farming in the state.
Governor Ododo disclosed this on Tuesday in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media, Ismaila Isah.
The governor said he was compelled by the prevailing economic situation to evolve innovative approach by putting together a team of engineers to revitalise disused tractors procured by his predecessor, Yahaya Bello, but abandoned in different farm settlements within and outside the state.
Ododo explained that he set out to recover and put them back to use by spending far less than what it would have cost the state government to procure new tractors for the farming season, given the timing and extra cost due to foreign exchange instability and logistics.
The governor disclosed that it would have cost the state government well over N70 million if it were to procure a brand new tractor with complete accessories, adding that the figure could be well over N20 billion for about 200 tractors that were refurbished by the team of engineers working at a workshop in the premises of Kogi State Agricultural Development Project (ADP) in Lokoja.
