Stakeholders demand probe into 10Billion cassava intervention fund

President Mohammadu Buhari

Some aggrieved stakeholders have called on President Mohammadu Buhari to turn his corruption search light in the direction of how the over ten billion naira intervention fund meant to enhance cassava production towards 10% inclusion of its high quality flour into wheat bread was spent.

They argued that the purpose for which the money was budgeted has been defeated as many farmers are already facing challenges of where to get market for their produce saying the ministry of agriculture, the Bank of Industry and Bank of Agriculture have distorted the purpose the money was meant thereby creating the present market challenges. 

Cassava productivity promotion was one of the crops that attracted the last administration’s attention based on the determination to use the produce derivative in high quality flour to checkmate huge bill on wheat import.

The aggrieved stakeholders expressed resentment on the way and manner the over 10 billion naira intervention fund was shared and spent saying investigation must be carried out as farmers cannot be suffering after going into farming based on promises of off takers through processors and master bakers adding how was the money meant for guarantee minimum price of High Quality Cassava Flour with the ministry spent.

They told Food farm news that about N4.2 billion naira was spent in the ministry where part of it was to serve as guarantee minimum price for processors which never took place while N2.4 billion and N3.8 billion were slashed into the bank of Agriculture and Industry respectively.

 The portion of the money that supposed to go into National cassava Growers Association (NCGA) was lodged at BOA and the amount mean for processors and master bakers was put in BOI. While the N2.4 billion naira was meant for primary production, while the N3.8 billion was meant for processors and master bakers with a source saying the BOI has returned the money back to the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

It was alleged that the disbursement process of the money was not according to what was presented to the former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to approved as the aspect of media marketing that later arose in the spending of the money is regarded as part of mis management process they wanted to be investigated.

The N2.4 billion naira for primary production through the Nigerian Cassava Grower Association (NCGA) resulted to cultivation of 29, 500 hectares at the rate of N80,000.00 as against N250,000.00  the ministry gave to other contractors who cleared the 5,000 hectares that was riddened with abnormally occasioned by non-performance across the states of the federation. 

A source said that the money given to some few members of NCGA was equivalent of the money contributed as deposit with BOA saying he could not be too certain whether the N2.4 billion was even spent on farmers as it was supposed to be for land clearing mechanization and inputs distribution through electronic wallet of Growth Enhancement Support powered by Cellulant.

With the withdrawer of Cargil, a multinational food processing company from  Kogi state, farmers are apprehensive of where to sell their produce since there are no processors of HQCF and master bakers that are ready to off take, thereby wanted the whole process probed for the benefit of agricultural development just as some of the processors lamented that they were frustrated to get the N10 million grants by tight measures of BOI.

However the stakeholders commended the commitment of the present minister Chief AuduOgbeh’s belief in policy continuity of the past administration as he has promised at the Kano National council on agriculture that the programme would continue as flash driers challenge would be addressed when budget is finally released, but they insisted a well audit of the ten billion naira spent as intervention in the (GES) production of HQCF must be well conducted for clarity.