Farmers’ group alleges sabotage in agric bank loan

Farmers group operating under the umbrella of “Asaba famers” in Delta State yesterday alleged sabotage method to access loans from the Agriculture Bank under the proposed N750billion Central Bank (CBN) Agric Bank recapitalization. As it were, the Central Bank of Nigeria had recently announced the provision for N750billion for Agric Bank recapitalization before the end of next year 2017.
The proposals, expectedly is the restructuring and recapitalization of the BOA that will enable the bank to attract up to N1 million to effectively provide loans at affordable interest rates to farmers.

But the farmers who spoke through one of their leaders, Elder Francis Tolafe accused Agric Bank Officials in Asaba of giving out forms to access loans on sabotage grounds, adding that they have been faced with difficulties of becoming part of the loans’ seekers since Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced its proposals for N750 billion.

 According to him, we were told to come for forms, and register our names, it is so difficult to get the forms except close relations or friends of the Bank Officials that are getting the forms”.

 Alleging further that they have approached Bank of the Industry in Asaba and others for loans in the past to no avail, Elder Tolafe however appealed to President Mohammadu Buhari and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to intervene as part of their promises to boost Agriculture sector as measures to cushion the hash effects of the current economic recession.

 The Minister of the State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri had the farmers’ field day organized by Dizengoft Nigeria Limited in collaboration with Phinada Integrated farms in Abuja recently, said: “The Central Bank of Nigeria is collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture.

 This is because one of the biggest challenges of Agriculture in Nigeria today is access to affordable loans, but in many other parts of the world, agriculture is the most attractive sector for Banks to lend money to”.

The Minister added: “Right now, the federal government is subsidizing farmers’ but the subsidy is not what the farmers want, we have seen this under the Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme of the CBN in Kebbi in the scheme there was no subsidy”.

 But the farmers explained that it was been difficult for them to access loans even in commercial banks who often demand bogus collateral before giving out loans.

“We want to farm, but we have no money to make big farms, so we were very happy with CBN proposals, but the situation here in Asaba is not made easy for us by the banks’ officials we have approached for loans” the farmers added.

 In a swift reaction, some officials of the Bank of Industry in Asaba, who did not want their names in the print, dispelled allegation against the Bank as untrue, saying that the farmers did not meet the Bank’s requirement for loans.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Delta State Government has given life support to 200 youths drawn from the three senatorial districts of the state (Delta North, South and Central).

 The support programme involves creation of opportunity for the benefiting youths to be trained and equipped with skills in 10 special artisanship programmes under the full sponsorship of UNDP and the Delta State government.

 Consequently, the UNDP with the state government, yesterday, organized a one-day pre-mentorship attachment and master trainers’ induction for the 200 participants to be equipped with the needed skills to be acquired in the three to six months training prior to becoming self reliant.

 Speaking at the one-day induction ceremony in Asaba, the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Dr. Kingsley Emu, said the programme was created to creat opportunity for Delta youths to be self reliant and job creators.

Emu, who spoke alongside the Delta State Chief Job Creation Officer, Prof. Eric Eboh, and Executive Director of the state Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, Mrs. Shimite Bello, said the training is targeted to rum for six months, noting that after the hardship of life, the 200 youths now have a lifeline given to them by the UNDP and the state government.

 He also revealed that a N10, 000 stipend will be given monthly to the youths, pending the completion of the training, where they will be fully equipped with starter packs to become job creators so as to fend for themselves.

 Dr. Emu reaffirmed the willingness of the state government to improve the living standard of the people, particularly youths, a development which necessitated the various efforts at partnering with foreign donors so as to create opportunities for youths in the state.