FG releases N10.3bn agro-dealers debts but…

The federal government has released the remaining N10.3 billion outstanding debts owed the agro-dealers under the Growth Enhancement Support (GES), a scheme run during former President, Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. The Growth Enhancement Support (GES) was an e-wallet system where the federal government provided subsidized farm inputs to farmers across the country through text messages to […]

The federal government has released the remaining N10.3 billion outstanding debts owed the agro-dealers under the Growth Enhancement Support (GES), a scheme run during former President, Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

The Growth Enhancement Support (GES) was an e-wallet system where the federal government provided subsidized farm inputs to farmers across the country through text messages to their mobile phones to redeem input at redemption centres supplied by the dealers.

The N10.3 billion was the last amounts remain from about N67 billion for the total inputs supplied to farmers across the country between 2013 and 2015 for wet and dry season farming.

However, findings have revealed that while the payment has been made, several deductions were made and no explanation was given according to some dealers.

Alhaji Saidu Garba, the Secretary, Kaduna State chapter of the agro-dealers association said some deductions have been made on his money and no explanation is given.

“In my case, 37 per cent has been deducted from my money and I do not know why but good thing is that they have paid last week,” he said.

Daily Trust on Sunday, however, learnt that the deduction was not uniform as it ranges from 10 to 40 percent.

However, Alhaji Kabiru Umar-Fara, National Chairman, Agro-Dealers Association in an interview with Daily Trust on Sunday, said the deductions were done due to some issues with the records of the affected agro-dealers.

“You see some of them don’t know their records because it has taken a long time. For example, if you submitted a certificate stating what you supplied to the farmers and the certificate is reading N100 million, so because there is a control centre in Abuja, the control centre will verify and validate. If they find out that some things were not supplied and you claim you supplied them, they may cut that money from that particular angle. So the certificate will be reading N100 million but the actual pay approval for you is N70 million. This was not done now, it’s something that has been done long ago and is because some of them did not follow to know what has been approved for them to know if there were issues.

‘’Most of the people that called me to say they have cut my money, I told them to go to the ministry of agriculture and show them so that they might correct it. Some, it was even a mistake from copying the figures-some figures were affected. It is not from the Accountant General’s office or the Ministry of Finance. The ministry was given a booklet with the validated amount so they cannot tamper with it. Their own is to pay. And this booklet has been with the ministry of finance for more than one year.’’