Exposed: Plateau Agricultural Service Training Centre Under Liquidation, Set To Be Close Down Soon

Yakubu Busari

Following the ban on importation of Rice, foodstuffs into the country by President Muhammadu Buhari government in Nigeria, the Plateau State Government IS now using politics to close down the Agricultural Service Training Centre, ASTC, which is the brainchild of the former Governor Jonah David Jang in making outfit one of the centre in food production in the country.

 

The Plateau state Agricultural Service and Training Centre, ASTC, established by the former Governor Jonah David Jang administration in conjunction with the Israeli government to build and equip citizens of the state to remain self-reliant is gradually becoming a moribund as the staffs were forcefully sacked and disengage them from service.

 

An investigation by our correspondent shows that the present government under the watchful eyes of Governor Simon Lalong the company embarked on an indiscriminate sacking of qualified workers including the Israelis that were managing it.

 

The company is an eye saw due to the bad management impose on the Israelis by the Plateau state Deputy Governor Prof Sonny Tyoden who brought one lawyer to manage the said company without any experience attached.

 

The company which was gradually transforming Plateau state into Agrarian stated, with staff working without salary almost going to one year seven months now.

 

One of the staff who pleaded that his name should not be mentioned raised concern that most of the qualified staff working with the ASTC was sacked and some volunteered staff left due to nonpayment of salary.

 

“We have been working for almost two years now but no salary, we need the intervention of Governor Simon Lalong to come to our rescue considering the suffering some of us are going through, “he said.

 

According to him, all tractors, harvesters including other machines imported by the Israelis to be used are no longer functioning, as staff alleged mismanagement by the new manager who lacked experience in handling the farm.

 

However, the Butura in Bokkos LGA where the dairy farm is, has lost all the animals without milk products from the dairy farm, which staff fingered the deputy governor for bringing someone that is not a trained agriculturist to manage the place.

 

The dairy farm is now at the point of liquidation owning to government involvement in the appointment of the wrong person to head the company.