Loans
By Priscilla Osaje

The Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN) says it is working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Police to recover Anchor Borrowers Programme loans from its members.

Its National President, Mr Bello Abubakar, said this at a news conference after a three-day meeting organised by the association in Abuja on Thursday.

The meeting included the association’s state chairmen, zonal coordinators, national officers, and other stakeholders in the maize value chain, such as researchers, input suppliers, farmers, and end users.

The MAAN boss said the purpose of the press briefing was to inform the general public about the efforts being made to recover the Anchor Borrowers Programme loans given to the association from 2018 to 2021 for maize production.

“MAAN understands that the ABP/CBN programme is a revolving loan due for full recovery, depending on the participants (farmers) for compliance.

“Unfortunately, there was a monumental disappointment, as most of the participants/farmers thought that the loan was a national cake,” Abubakar said.

He added that due to the recalcitrant attitude of the participants/farmers towards repayment of the loan, MAAN was constrained to write several demand letters to the defaulters, as well as to seek synergy with law enforcement and anti-graft agencies like the EFCC, DSS, and the Nigeria Police for assistance, in line with Federal Government policies on loan recovery.

“It is most unfortunate that some of the participants/defaulters, who tried to evade responsibility to both MAAN and the agencies supporting our loan recovery, took us to various courts for enforcement of their purported human rights, which they claimed were violated.”

The MAAN president said the association took some of the defaulters to court for loan recovery, and most of those cases are still pending in the courts.

He noted that insecurity is grossly affecting association members, saying, “Some of our farms and farmers were burnt, kidnapped, and killed by bandits on farms in Niger, Zamfara, Katsina, Borno, Yobe, Sokoto, Ondo, and Ekiti states.”

According to him, flooding has also affected farmers in Kogi, Benue, Cross River, Jigawa, Katsina, Taraba, Niger, Kebbi, and Kwara states, with drought threatening members in Oyo, Kwara, Niger, Ondo, Ekiti, and Benue states.

Abubakar urged the Federal Government to create an enabling environment that would give smallholder farmers the opportunity to settle their outstanding loans and produce for domestic needs and exports.

He said the government should show compassion to farmers in consideration of the unmitigated and debilitating factors making productive farming and harvesting impossible.

The MAAN boss appealed to the government to either waive or significantly reduce the outstanding financial obligations of the association in the CBN/ABP programme.

He commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its efforts in ensuring food security in the country.
(NAN)
Edited by Deji Abdulwahab